BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO

Course overview

VERTIGO IS THE PERCEPTION OF MOTION IN THE ABSENCE OF MOTION, WHICH MAY BE DESCRIBED AS A SENSATION OF SWAYING, TILTING, SPINNING, OR FEELING UNBALANCED. DUE TO HIGHLY VARIABLE DESCRIPTIONS OF VERTIGO, IT IS OFTEN CONSOLIDATED INTO THE UMBRELLA DESCRIPTOR 'DIZZINESS', A VERY COMMON BUT IMPRECISE COMPLAINT THAT ACCOUNTS FOR OVER THREE MILLION EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS ANNUALLY. DIZZINESS CAN DESCRIBE SO MANY VARIABLE SENSATIONS THAT THE USE OF THIS IMPRECISE DESCRIPTION BECOMES A DILEMMA THAT OFTEN MISLEADS THE TREATING PROVIDER. VERTIGO CAN BE OF THE VESTIBULAR OR PERIPHERAL ORIGIN OR BE DUE TO NON-VESTIBULAR OR CENTRAL CAUSES. BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO (BPPV) IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF PERIPHERAL VERTIGO, ACCOUNTING FOR OVER HALF OF ALL CASES. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.