ABSTRACT
The management of intractable migraine is not yet standardised. The first point in the emergency department is to eliminate severe cephalalgic non-migrainous disease, then to confirm the diagnosis of migraine. The second point is to determine trigger factors responsible for the refractory migraine--principally inadequate therapy, such as too low a dosage, inadequate treatment compared with intensity, and delayed treatment. Examples of inadequate classical treatments are presented for the following four main oral therapies: a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), analgesics, ergot derivatives, and triptans. When these drugs are ineffective, the following are used via injections: propacetamol, aspirin (lysine acetylsalicylate), injectable NSAIDs, and nefopam. These products differ from country-to-country. For example, morphinomimetics, phenothiazines and corticosteroids are widely prescribed in the US, while metamizole (dipyrone) is preferred in developing countries. The authors describe the different models of administration and the adverse effects of the substances. Finally, they describe the treatment of status migrainosus. Globally, triptans are underused in emergency departments. This review confirms the need for controlled trials of treatments for migraine in emergency departments in order to develop an international therapeutic consensus.
