Vertigo and dizziness in the emergency department

Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2009 Feb;27(1):39-50, viii. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2008.09.002.

Abstract

Understanding three peripheral vestibular disorders--vestibular neuritis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and Meniere's disease--is the key to the evaluation and management of vertigo and dizziness presentations in the emergency department. Each of these benign disorders is a common cause of a broad category of dizziness presentation. In addition, each of these disorders has characteristic features that allow for a bedside diagnosis. An effective strategy for "ruling-out" a serious disorder, such as stroke, is "ruling-in" a peripheral vestibular disorder. In this article a focus is on the key features of these disorders.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Dizziness / etiology*
  • Dizziness / therapy
  • Emergency Service, Hospital
  • Humans
  • Meniere Disease / diagnosis*
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Nystagmus, Pathologic
  • Vertigo / diagnosis*
  • Vestibular Neuronitis / diagnosis*