SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Is There a Correlation Between Vital Signs and Self-Reported Pain Severity in Patients With Pediatric Migraine Headaches?

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This retrospective single-center study examined whether self-reported pain scores in hospitalized children with migraine headaches correlate with changes in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, or diastolic blood pressure. The study included 1,239 patients aged 6 to 18 years admitted between 2010 and 2018, excluding children with infection or complex care needs. Up to 10 pain scores and associated vital signs were collected within one hour of each report. Pearson correlation tests and scatterplots were used to assess relationships.<br /><br />The patient group was mostly female, white, non-Hispanic, and had a mean age of 14.1 years. Across all analyzed data groups, correlations between pain scores and vital signs were extremely weak and not statistically significant. Heart rate showed correlations ranging from -0.011 to 0.073, systolic blood pressure from -0.052 to 0.050, and diastolic blood pressure from -0.093 to 0.051. Example results from one group also showed non-significant p-values for heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure.<br /><br />Overall, the study found no meaningful association between self-reported migraine pain severity and these vital signs in hospitalized pediatric patients. The authors conclude that heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure should not be used alone to assess pain severity in children with migraine headaches. Instead, vital signs may be used only as an adjunct to validated pain assessment tools. The study also notes limitations, including its retrospective design, single-center setting, and lack of adjustment for confounding factors such as medications, comorbidities, and age-related vital sign differences. Further research is underway to explore whether age modifies these relationships.

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Author List Maggie Donovan, Sandra Gage, Maheshwor Kafle

Category Research

Concept Pediatric Migraine

Concept Pain Severity

Concept Heart Rate

Concept Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

Concept Diastolic Blood Pressure

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix

Presenting Author Maggie Donovan

Track Pediatric

Keywords

pediatric migraine

pain scores

heart rate

systolic blood pressure

diastolic blood pressure

hospitalized children

vital signs

retrospective study

pain assessment

correlation analysis

Pediatric Migraine

Pain Severity

Heart Rate

Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

Diastolic Blood Pressure