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Vertigo / Dizziness

Table of contents
  1. :triangular_flag_on_post: Red Flags
  2. Presentation of different dizziness types and differential diagnosis

Vertigo ranges from benign to life threatning (e.g. CVA or cardiovascular cause)

:triangular_flag_on_post: Red Flags

  1. Neurological signs or symptoms
  2. Acute deafness
  3. New type/rapid onset headache
  4. Vertical nystagmus

Presentation of different dizziness types and differential diagnosis

Type Differentials
Acute prolonged spontaneous dizziness/vertigo Vestibular neuritis/labyrinthitis
  Stroke
Recurrent spontaneous dizziness/vertigo Meniere’s disease
  Vestibular Migraine
  Psychogenic dizziness
  Vertebrobasilar transient ischemic attack
Recurrent positional vertigo Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Chronic dizziness and imbalance Degenerative brain disorders
  Bilateral vestibulopathy
  Psychogenic dizziness

Note. From “Approach to dizziness in the emergency department” by I. Jung and J.S.Kim, Clinical and experimental emergency medicine, 2(2). Copyright by The Authors.

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