I need advice

[Scotty]

10 hours ago my usually stoical husband complained of very sudden onset of the most severe headache he has ever had in his life. He does not usually get headaches, and has had none recently. He took paracetamol/ acetaminophen. After half an hour there was no relief from the pain whatsoever and he had said to me ten times "I've never had a headache like this in my life." I took him to the emergency department. The doc sent him home with ibuprofen saying it is probably a tension headache. His temp, pulse and BP were normal.

The pain is now a litte worse despite regular ibuprofen (He normally won't take pills). He is photophobic and has neck pain. He is lying in a darkened room. Temp is still normal. He is obviously still GCS 15 with no obvious neuro deficits, or I wouldn't be on the internet! Should I take him back to the hospital and make noises about a head CT scan and possibly LP or am I just being a neurotic pain in the derriere?

[dianah, ASN]

Mimi2RN, my thoughts exactly. It happened to one of our Cardiologists that way (with CT around).

I hope for good results/outcome. -- D

[z's playa]

Please update on your situation Scotty! I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm concerned

Cathy

[Scotty]

He's had a Grade I subarachnoid haemorrhage. The CT showed a little blood, but the local hospital didn't see that, so he had a LP which showed a lot of blood. He's now been transferred to a specialist neuro centre that can do 3D radiology. I know it's a good place. I worked there during my crit care course. He's on triple H therapy. He's for angio tomorrow and coiling then or later. He's still GCS 15 with no deficits and still totally my darling with his usual wicked humour, albeit with a very sore head and neck and I am very grateful for that.

I am just getting through the next two weeks one day at a time, hoping for no re-bleed, vasospasm, brain swelling or sludgy CSF.

Sorry I took so long to get back to you - I was dealing with family.

Thanks so much for all your kind thoughts and particularly to those of you who told me to take him back to hospital.

Scotty x

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Thanks goodness you took him back- and good luck. You will have to remind him of your sound advice in the many years to come:D

[renerian, BSN, RN]

I am glad you took him back. I know my mom went to ER at 6am with horrible leg pain/bruised. My brother took her and then called me 2 hours after they brought her home to please come and look at her something was wrong. We took her back immediatley and it was necrotizing facititis. She died within 24 hours. Sometimes the ER docs don't dig deep enough. I would think headaches gets the brush off alot. I have had migranes and never went to ER but Lord Almighty I was in severe pain.

Please don't flame me ER nurses LOL, you don't write the orders the docs do most of the time.

renerian

[TonyafutureRN]

I'm so glad you took him back. I will always go to ER or take a loved one to the ER for a headache like this. I'm scared not to since my father (who lived in another state) went to his dr with a severe headache and blurred vision only to be given new glasses, which didn't help. His headaches continued and nobody took him seriously until one morning he didn't wake up. It was a brain tumor. It may have been too late to do anything once the pain started, but we'll never know now. I know this isn't too common a thing to happen, but it's enough to make me cautious when it comes to severe headaches. Tonya

[barb4575]

One of my closest RN friends died at age 41 of a massive cerebral aneurysm. Unlike your husband, she constantly lived with headaches so she did not initially realize the emergency of the situation. She was on call for the OR and called them and said she was going to the hospital...she called 911...she was placed on a vent and then when her family drove five hours to be with her, they took her off of life support. What a tragedy! I have goosebumps just thinking about it...

Good luck to all of you and try and have a blessed Thanksgiving as well.

Barbara

[z's playa]

Thank goodness you brought him back! Thank God he's ok! I suffer with migraines and that is one of my worst fears.(mistaking a bleed for a "regular" migraine) You just never know. Hope all goes well from here on. :kiss

cathy

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

(((HUGS))) Scotty !

What a stressful time for you and your DH ! As are the others, I'm glad you took the steps you did, and that he now is under proper care and in good hands.

Now take yourself a nice, hot, bubble bath and allow the stress to diffuse with the bubbles !

Keep us posted...:)

[Elenaster]

Scotty,

Great job advocating for your hubby! I just got around to reading this thread and sudden onset "worst h/a of my life" is a HUGE red flag! Sounds like the staff in that ED need a refresher course in neurologic emergencies.

I hope the coiling is successful! Keep us posted when you get a chance.

[unknown99, BSN, RN]

Most definitely!!! Make enough noise until you get that CT scan!!!

[Scotty]

He's still doing well. Thanks so much for your support. He thinks the staff in the hospital are wonderful and he's tickled pink that nurses from all over the world are wishing him well.