Uso excessivo de analgésicos nos pacientes com cefaleia do ambulatório de neurologia do CEMEC - perfil clínico-epidemiológico

Abstract

Headache is classified by the Global Burden of Disease study as the third most prevalent disorder worldwide, in addition to being the third leading cause of disability in both men and women under the age of 50. It has often been diagnosed and treated inappropriately, given the population's lack of knowledge about the different causes of the disease and the high frequency of self-medication with over-the-counter painkillers. Medication overuse headache is a secondary headache that usually occurs in patients suffering from primary headaches, worsening the intensity and frequency of attacks. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of excessive use of analgesics by patients diagnosed with headache, treated at the CEMEC neurology outpatient clinic. A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out with an analytical-descriptive approach. A higher prevalence of headache was noted in female patients, aged between 41-60 years, the main type being migraine. The most prevalent medication for pain control was Dipirone, which was significantly associated with excessive use of analgesics. Due to the lack of important information in the medical records, it was not possible to faithfully quantify the number of patients in the sample who were classified as overusing these medications. We concluded that a considerable portion of outpatient patients were overusing analgesics, predominantly female, and using Dipyrone, in addition to noticing a significant association between excessive use concomitantly with prophylactic treatment with Amitriptyline. Despite this, a lack of important information was observed in the medical records of patients with headache treated at the outpatient clinic, revealing the importance of creating a care record to be implemented in the institution, for better monitoring and outcome of these patients.