EVALUATION OF THE DIZZY AND UNBALANCED PATIENT

Course overview

DIZZINESS AS A PATIENT COMPLAINT CAN REFER TO MANY DIFFERENT SENSATIONS, INCLUDING LIGHTHEADEDNESS, VERTIGO, OR UNSTEADINESS. DIZZINESS IS A COMMON PRESENTING COMPLAINT IN AMBULATORY AND EMERGENCY ROOM SETTINGS AND OFTEN PROGRESSES TO INPATIENT CARE. IT HAS COMMONLY BEEN SEPARATED INTO CATEGORIES: VERTIGO, PRESYNCOPE, LIGHTHEADEDNESS, AND DISEQUILIBRIUM. UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS RARELY THAT CLEAR-CUT, AND PATIENTS OFTEN HAVE DIFFICULTY DISTINGUISHING THEIR SYMPTOMS. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE DIFFERENTIATING CAUSES OF DIZZINESS AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE HEALTHCARE TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.