Knowledge of the medical resident about diagnosis and treatment of patients with headache

Abstract

Introduction Considering the high prevalence of headache, it is necessary a study about the effectiveness of the care of patients with headache by medical resident in Emergency Care Units (EDU) and medical outpatient clinics. Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of care in EDUs, outpatient clinics and medical wards and the management of patients with headache complaints. Method The study was observational descriptive (cross-sectional cohort) through the application of an online questionnaire answered by the medical residents. Results There were 115 residents who answered the survey. In the group of residents who see patients with headache (n=95) the number of visits was 4.87 per week. The resident's idea is that headaches are symptoms of an underlying disease in 49.5% of them. On the question about feeling able to differentiate primary from secondary headaches, 50% of the residents said yes. On the question, "Is Migraine the same as Headache?" 6.1% answered yes. On the question, "Would you use morphine derivatives to treat headache?" 19.1% of the residents answered that they would. On the question about having knowledge about the harms of using morphine derivatives in headache, 60% answered that they did not have in-depth knowledge or that they have no knowledge. In this sample of residents, 74/115 (65%) suffer from headache. Only 36/115 (31%) of the residents sought care because of the headache. Of the residents, 3/115 (2.6%) have chronic daily headache. In the question about knowing what is "chronic daily headache" and from medication overuse, about 35% do not know or did not delve into the concept. Conclusion We conclude that there is a lack of teaching about types of headaches, criteria for diagnosis and treatment. Urgent modifications should be made in the medical course to enable newly graduated doctors to diagnose and treat patients with headache.