Effectiveness of the Concurrent Intravenous Injection of Dexamethasone and Metoclopramide for Pain Management in Patients with Primary Headaches Presenting to Emergency Department

INTRODUCTION: Headache is a common reason for visiting emergency departments, and pain control is a major therapeutic goal in patients with headaches. OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the concurrent intravenous administration of dexamethasone and metoclopramide in pain control in patients presenting to emergency departments with complaints of primary headache. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study examined patients with moderate to severe headache attacks presenting to emergency departments. An 8-mg dose of dexamethasone and a 10-mg dose of metoclopramide were intravenously administered to the patients. The degree of headache was measured and recorded using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) upon admission and one hour and two hours after the injection. RESULTS: A total of 51 patients with a mean age of 38.3±10.5 years participated in the study. The patients’ mean pain score was 8.4±1.3 upon admission and reduced to 6.2±2.3 one hour after the administration of the medication and to 3.1±2.9 two hours after the administration, suggesting significant reductions on both occasions (P<0.05). The therapeutic success was 39.2% one hour after the administration of the medication and 84.3% two hours after the administration. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, the concurrent administration of dexamethasone and metoclopramide appears to affect the control of headache intensity in patients with primary headaches presenting to emergency departments.