What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous dexamethasone in preventing relapse of migraines in children and adolescents treated in the emergency department.

April 6, 2026Open Access

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Randomized controlled trial of intravenous dexamethasone to prevent relapse in the treatment of migraine in a pediatric emergency department

GTGeneviève Tourigny‐RuelCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine BBBenoit BaileyCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine SJSabrina Jean‐CharlesUniversité de Montréal

Key Points

To evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous dexamethasone in preventing relapse of migraines in children and adolescents treated in the emergency department.
Conducted a randomized controlled trial
Administered intravenous dexamethasone and placebo
Focused on children and adolescents with acute migraine attacks
Measured relapse rates and functional outcomes
Dexamethasone did not significantly reduce relapse rates compared to placebo
No improvement in functional outcomes observed
Limited findings due to low statistical power

Abstract

In this small clinical trial of children and adolescents with acute migraine attack treated in the ED, adjunctive dexamethasone did not reduce relapse rates nor improve functional outcomes compared with placebo. Although limited by low statistical power, these findings raise questions about the routine use of dexamethasone in migraine management of children and adolescents.

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Randomized controlled trial of intravenous dexamethasone to prevent relapse in the treatment of migraine in a pediatric emergency department

Key Points

Abstract

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