Table 4.
Frequency of medication use stratified by those administered in ED and prescribed at discharge among headache-related ED visits in the US: NHAMCS data for 2007–2010 and 2015–2018.
| Medications | 2007–2010 | 2015–2018 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administered in ED (%) |
Prescribed at Discharge (%) | Administered in ED (%) |
Prescribed at Discharge (%) | |
| Opioids | 44.0 | 23.2 | 21.7 | 11.5 |
| Butalbital | 1.1 * | 4.0 | 2.0 | 5.3 |
| Acetaminophen/NSAIDs | 30.1 | 11.9 | 47.9 | 12.8 |
| Ergot alkaloids/Triptans | 3.1 * | 3.6 * | 2.8 | 2.4 |
| Antiemetics | 55.5 | 11.6 | 56.2 | 12.2 |
| Diphenhydramine | 15.7 | 1.2 | 35.0 | 2.2 |
| Corticosteroids | 2.3 | 0.3 * | 5.0 | 1.5 * |
Abbreviations: ED: Emergency Department; US: United States; NHAMCS: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey; NSAID: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; NCHS: National Center for Health Statistics. * The number of unweighted visits is fewer than 30 or the relative standard error is greater than 30. Weighted estimates of those values are considered unreliable by NCHS standards.