J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2000 Dec;11(4):546-554.

Clinical Analysis of Patients with Acute Dizziness Visiting an Emergency Center

• Kim HD
• Yoo SJ
• Park JH

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dizziness is a common complaint in patients presenting at emergency departments. Dizziness is difficult to assess because it is a subjective complaint that cannot be measured. We report a clinical analysis of patients with acute dizziness: type, duration, symptom, incidence, etc.
METHODS
We reviewed the clinical details and the results of vestibular function tests for 106 acutely dizzy patients who visited the Emergency Department of Wonkwang University Hospital during the period of Jul. 1999 through Dec. 1999.
RESULTS
The most common etiology of acute dizziness was the peripheral vestibular system(66%). The most common disease of the peripheral vestibular system was benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(52.9%), and the second most one was vestibular neuronitis(42.9%). In the central nervous system, cerebrovascular accident(63.6%) was the most common cause. All of the patients had experienced a previous vertigo attack, and 42.4% of them had frequent attacks. Dizziness of the cochlear systems were usual in peripheral vertigo. The usual underlying diseases related with vertigo were hypertension, cerebral infarction and diabetes mellitus.
CONCLUSION
Dizziness is a complex and frustrating symptom with numerous possible causes. In case with suspected central disorders, CT and MRI have a great diagnostic significance.

MeSH Terms

Central Nervous System
Cerebral Infarction
Diabetes Mellitus
Dizziness*
Emergencies*
Emergency Service, Hospital
Humans
Hypertension
Incidence
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Vertigo
Vestibular Function Tests