Inpatient Clinical Pathway for the Evaluation/Treatment
of Children with a Migraine Headache

  • Sufficient Clinical Improvement
    • Decreases in Pain Score by 1 Point
    • Patient Reports Subjective Improvement
  • Reassess Every 8-12 Hours to Ensure Continued Improvement
  • Consider Adjunctive Pain Management Interventions
    • Patient Education
    • Child Life
    • Social Work
    • Psychology/Psychiatry
    • Integrative Health

Pathway assumes patient has received Ketorolac, Metoclopramide, and Valproic Acid at this point.

If additional medications administered in ED, advance along pathway as clinically indicated.

Modify protocol as needed dependent on success/failure/side effects of past medications.

Sufficient Improvement
Start Diphenhydramine
Continue Ketorolac
Metoclopramide
Valproic Acid
Insufficient Improvement
Stop Valproic Acid
Start Diphenhydramine
Methylprednisolone
Continue Ketorolac
Metoclopramide
Reassess 30-60 Minutes Following Methylprednisolone
Sufficient Improvement
Insufficient Improvement
Stop Ketorolac
Start Famotidine
Continue Metoclopramide
Diphenhydramine
Methylprednisone
Stop Methylprednisolone
Start Magnesium Sulfate
Continue Ketorolac
Metoclopramide
Diphenhydramine
Reassess 30-60 Minutes after Magnesium Sulfate
Sufficient Improvement
Insufficient Improvement
Continue Magnesium Sulfate
Ketorolac
Metoclopramide
Diphenhydramine
Stop Magnesium Sulfate
Start DHE
Continue Ketorolac
Metoclopramide
Diphenhydramine
Sufficient Improvement
Continue DHE
Ketorolac
Metoclopramide
Diphenhydramine
Posted: April 2015
Revised: September 2023
Editors: Clinical Pathways Team