INTRAVENOUS VERSUS RECTAL PROCHLORPERAZINE IN THE TREATMENT OF BENIGNVASCULAR OR TENSION HEADACHE - A RANDOMIZED, PROSPECTIVE, DOUBLE-BLIND TRIAL

Study objective: To compare the effectiveness of IV and PR prochlorper azine for treatment of acute benign vascular or tension headache. Desi gn: Prospective, randomized, double-blind trial. Setting: University e mergency department with 50,000 annual census. Participants: Forty-fiv e adult patients enrolled on 46 visits. Interventions: Patients receiv ed 10 mg prochlorperazine IV and placebo suppository or 25 mg prochlor perazine PR and placebo injection. Pain assessment was made using a 10 -cm visual-analog scale; scores were analyzed using Wilcoxon/Kruskal-W allis rank-sum tests (alpha of .01). Results: Mean 60-minute pain scor es for IV and PR groups were 0.6 and 3.5, respectively (P=.0002). Two patients (8.7%) in the IV group and six patients (26.1%) in the PR gro up required rescue analgesia (P=.12). Conclusion: IV prochlorperazine appears to provide more effective relief than PR prochlorperazine for benign vascular or tension headaches.