In summary, children presenting with:
- Persistent/recurrent headache worse in the morning, or waking them from sleep
- Persistent/recurrent vomiting
- Balance/co ordination/walking problems
- Abnormal eye movements
- Blurred vision/double vision/loss of vision
- Behaviour change
- Fits or seizures (if actively seizing, please call 999)
- Abnormal neck position/wry neck/head tilt
- Rapidly increasing head circumference (if a baby)
… should be discussed urgently with the on call Paediatrics via the PAU Telephone(accessed via switchboard) and will be seen either in the Paediatric Assessment Unit on the same day, or Rapid Access Clinic, as appropriate.
If there has been a recent, significant head injury (within the past 3 months), and the child has the symptoms above, please refer urgently for assessment.
Children presenting with fever and severe headache need urgent assessment and should be referred via the on call telephone.
Children and young people presenting with a sudden onset, severe occipital headache ‘thunderclap’ headache should be referred to urgent assessment via the on call telephone.