USMLE Adviser
Headache: Step-by-Step Approach (Flowchart)
The USMLE Adviser Headache flowchart turns this presentation into a short series of yes/no decisions, the way Step 2 CK and Step 3 vignettes test it. Here is how it begins.
How the flowchart starts
The first question is thunderclap onset? If yes, the chart points to SAH. If no, it asks about fever / neck stiffness (meningitis), then about focal neuro deficit / papilledema, before moving on to the remaining causes.
FAQs
How does the headache flowchart start?
The first question is thunderclap onset? If yes, the chart points to SAH. If no, it asks about fever / neck stiffness (meningitis), then about focal neuro deficit / papilledema, before moving on to the remaining causes.
Where can I see the full headache flowchart?
The complete flowchart is page 48 of the USMLE Adviser e-book, Clinical Algorithms: Volumes 1 & 2, which has 232 flowcharts across 19 specialties.
Related flowcharts
Get the full flowchart
The USMLE Adviser e-book has 232 one-page clinical flowcharts across 19 specialties for Step 2 CK, Step 3 and the Match. Instant digital download.
From Clinical Algorithms: Volumes 1 & 2 by Dr. Adnan Memon, MD (page 48). Reviewed by the USMLE Adviser Team. For exam preparation only, not medical advice.