The burden of migraine in Mexico: a database analysis of migraine-related visits to emergency departments in Mexico's Ministry of Health (MMoH) hospitals.

BACKGROUND

The burden of migraine in Mexican Emergency Department (ED) settings remains understudied. This study aimed to determine the frequency of migraine-related ED visits within the ED Mexican Ministry of Health's (MMoH) database and analyze their demographics and treatment patterns.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed MMoH database of ED visits between 2013 and 2022. Visits with migraine diagnosis were selected using ICD-10 codes. Demographic characteristics, geographical location, and time of consultation were described, medication use patterns were analyzed.

RESULTS

Between 2013 and 2022, there were 1,022,450 reported ED visits related to primary headache (0.6% of all ED visits), there were 179,618 migraine-related ED visits (19% of all headache visits). Females represented 78% of visits. Visits peaked in 2014 (20,066) and were the lowest in 2019 (8,273). Medication was used in 21% of visits, NSAIDs being the most frequent (15%). Triptan use was low (0.04% of all migraine visits).

CONCLUSION

Our results highlight the significant burden of migraines on Mexico's healthcare system and the importance of considering age and sex in the approach to migraine ED visits. An update in therapeutic strategies for migraine in Mexico is needed to improve patient outcomes.