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ACTIONABLE HEADACHES

Practice Points

The reasonably conscientious physician will identify and diagnose the 1% of headaches that have a serious cause

Commonly litigated Urgent Headaches:
1. Meningitis
2. Sentinel Bleed
3. Temporal Arteritis

Some indicators of urgent headaches
1.	SUDDEN or explosive onset
2.	NEW type/change in pattern
	a. particularly >50 years age
3.	INCREASING severity or frequency
4.	ACCOMPANIED by
	a. fever   b. neck stiffness   c. neurological symptoms
5.	HIV-positive

Physical Examination of Urgent Headache
1. Fever, blood pressure
2. Fundus (eye-grounds)
3. Neck - thyroid, stiffness, bruits
4. Heart
5. Neurological  GLOSSARY: Click on the appropriate letter

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