Intravenous Fluid Therapy for the Treatment of Emergency Department Patients With Migraine Headache
Intravenous Fluid Therapy for the Treatment of Emergency Department Patients With Migraine Headache
The purpose of this study is to determine whether patients in the emergency department with
 migraine headache who are administered an intravenous fluid bolus will report greater
 improvement in pain scores than control patients.
The investigators intend to perform a small-scale pilot study assessing the effectiveness of
 IV fluid therapy for patients presenting to the ED with migraine headache. Patients will be
 randomly allocated to receive a bolus of 1000 ml normal saline or no fluid bolus. Patients
 and outcome assessors will be blinded to the assigned study group. Research assistants will
 assess pain scores, nausea, and functional disability at time 0 (just prior to starting the
 intervention), 60 minutes, and 120 minutes. Participants will be contacted 48 hours after
 leaving the ED to assess symptom burden following discharge.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Age 18 or older

 -  Fluent in English

 -  Meets International Classification of Headache Disorders (3rd ed) criteria for
 migraine headache:

 A. At least five attacks fulfilling criteria B-D B. Headache attacks lasting 4-72 hours
 (untreated or unsuccessfully treated)

 C. Headache has at least two of the following four characteristics:

 unilateral location pulsating quality moderate or severe pain intensity aggravation by or
 causing avoidance of routine physical activity (e.g. walking or climbing stairs)

 D. During headache at least one of the following:

 1. nausea and/or vomiting

 2. photophobia and phonophobia E. Not better accounted for by another ICHD-3 diagnosis.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Intravenous Fluids are contraindicated in the opinion of the emergency department
 physician caring for the patient (ex patient has an exacerbation of congestive heart
 failure).

 -  Intravenous fluids are required in the opinion of the emergency department physician
 caring for the patient (ex patient has intractable vomiting, patient has severe
 dehydration).

 -  Have already received greater than or equal to 500 ml of intravenous fluid during this
 emergency department visit, prior to enrollment.

 -  Currently pregnant