Management of Childhood Migraine by Headache Specialist vs Non‐Headache Specialists

Objective This study aims to compare the management practices of a headache specialist with non‐headache specialists in the treatment of children with migraine. The use of appropriate rescue medications and prophylactic agents, application of neuroimaging, and short‐term outcomes are compared in children treated by the two groups of physicians. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted by utilizing the electronic medical records of children 3‐18 years of age with migraine, who were evaluated at a tertiary care children's hospital from 2016 to 2018. Results Of the 849 patients who met the study criteria, 469 children were classified as having chronic migraine or high‐frequency episodic migraine and were followed‐up on at least 1 occasion by the neurologists. Imaging was obtained in 66.5% of all children with migraine. The headache specialist used 5‐HT agonists (“triptans”) for migraine management in 56.7% (76/135) of cases compared to non‐headache specialists who prescribed them in 28.7% (96/334) of cases (P