Clinical Review of Dizziness Patients Who Visited Emergency Room

Kim, Ki Yong; Min, Hyun Jung; Lee, Seung Hwan; Park, Chul Won

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
As most dizziness symptoms are vaigue, and misdiagnosis of central dizziness can be life threatening, diagnosis of the dizziness is difficult. Especially, in the emergency room with a restricted environment, it must be more difficult. The aim of this study is to find out and correct the aspects requiring a modification for diagnosis in patients of dizziness who visited emergency room.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The authors retrospectively have reviewed the charts of 458 patients with dizziness who visited the emergency room at Hanyang University Guri Hospital from April 2008 to March 2009 and researched the various informations such as diagnosis, clinical feature, physical findings, present illness, past history, consulted department, and visiting season, etc.
RESULTS
The average age of patients was 61 years old. Even though there was a difference at the diagnosis distribution between age groups, non specific dizziness and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo was the most frequent diagnosis. Checking the dizziness characters like whirling sense, autonomic symptoms and progressing features was important. And vestibular function tests such as nystagmus test and rotatory test like post head shaking or head thrust test were helpful for differential diagnosis of dizziness in emergency room. Patients with central vertigo were older (71.2 year) and had more past medical histories. But there was no seasonal frequency difference of dizziness.
CONCLUSION
As at emergency room, the differential diagnosis of dizziness is important but difficult, integrated medical knowledge of several departments associated with dizziness is required.