Many parents nationwide struggle with the decision of where — and if — to seek care when their child has a headache, according a national poll conducted by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich.
GfK Custom Research, which conducted the survey on behalf of C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, polled a national sample of 1,731 parents with children ages six to 18 in April 2018.
Here are four survey findings to know:
1. Two-thirds of parents reported their children having a headache unrelated to a fall and or head injury.
2. Parents participating in the poll did not all respond as uniformly when presented with scenarios of their children having serious headaches, which could represent serious medical emergencies such as meningitis. Seventy-six percent of parents indicated they would take their child to the ER if he or she had a headache paired with repeated vomiting, while 68 percent would go to the ER if their child had a headache paired with neck stiffness and fever.
"Although very rare, meningitis strikes quickly," poll co-director Sarah Clark, associate research scientist in the department of pediatrics at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, "If a child has a severe headache along with neck stiffness, persistent vomiting and fever, parents should get prompt medical advice – at the ER or from their child's regular doctor."
3. Forty-four percent said they would also take their child to the ER if he or she had a headache that didn't get better with medicine.
4. One in six parents indicated they would withhold pain medication from their children so the physician could assess the severity of the headache.
"Withholding pain relief medication is unnecessary, and just prolongs the child’s suffering," Ms. Clark said. "Documenting key information – such as how the child responded to medicine, what seemed to make the child feel better or worse, and if the child has a history of headaches – is much more helpful to providers."
More articles on patient flow:
3rd person dies from injuries sustained during Texas hospital explosion
Kaiser Permanente hospital briefly evacuated
New Jersey hospital evacuates ER over oxygen leak