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Table 2 Patient demographics and characteristics according to chronicity at the initial visit

From: Clinical patterns of primary stabbing headache: a single clinic-based prospective study

 

Acute/subacute (n = 41)

Chronic (n = 24)

p

Age (y)

54 (48–61)

55 (44–62)

0.822

Female sex

24 (58.5%)

21 (87.5%)

0.015

Severity (Numeric Rating Scale)

8 (7 – 9)

7 (5 – 8)

0.012

Duration (s)

1 (1 – 3)

1 (1 – 3)

0.348

Affected territory (not exclusive)

 Occipital

37 (90.2%)

18 (75.0%)

0.154

 V1

4 (9.8%)

4 (16.7%)

0.454

 Multiple

7 (17.1%)

9 (37.5%)

0.065

Side

0.044

 Side-locked

32 (78.0%)

13 (54.2%)

 

 Bilateral or alternating

9 (22.0%)

11 (45.8%)

 

 Migrating location

7 (17.1%)

8 (33.3%)

0.133

Stab frequency per day

0.019*

 1 (sporadic stab)

4 (9.8%)

6 (25.0%)

 

 2 – 10

15 (36.6%)

11 (45.8%)

 

 10 – 30

6 (14.6%)

4 (16.7%)

 

 30 – 100

9 (22.0%)

2 (8.3%)

 

  > 100

7 (17.1%)

1 (4.2%)

 

Pattern of occurrence (either single or series of stabs)

<0.001*

 Daily

39 (95.1%)

8 (33.3%)

 

 A few per month

2 (4.9%)

7 (29.2%)

 

 A few per year

0 (0.0%)

9 (37.5%)

 

 Disease duration prior to visit (d)

10 (7 – 30)

1,095 (195 – 2,920)

0.000

 Follow-up (d)

34 (14 – 64)

49 (29 – 98)

0.086

 Total disease duration (d)

15 (6 – 30)

987 (274 – 2,291)

0.000

 Complete remission

33 (80.5%)

4 (16.7%)

<0.001

Mode of remission

0.109

 Spontaneous

17 (51.5%)

0 (0.0%)

 

 By treatment

16 (48.5%)

4 (100.0%)

 

Treatment responsea

 Indomethacin

1/3 (33.3%)

4/5 (80.0%)

0.464

 Prednisolone

6/7 (85.7%)

0/4 (0.0%)

0.015

 Gabapentin

6/9 (66.7%)

1/4 (25.0%)

0.266

 Tricyclic antidepressants

1/3 (33.3%)

0/3 (0.0%)

>0.999

  1. The data are presented as median (interquartile range) or number (%)
  2. *p for trend; aOnly in patients treated by medications (numbers shown in the table)