Bedside Assessment of Acute Dizziness and Vertigo

Abstract Dizziness is a common symptom in emergency departments, general practice, and outpatient clinics. Faced with an acutely dizzy patient, the frontline physician must determine whether or not the symptoms are vestibular in origin and, if they are, which vestibular disorder they best fit. A focused history provides useful clues to the likely cause of dizziness, yet it is the clinical examination that yields the final answer. This article summarizes history and examination techniques that are useful in the assessment of acutely dizzy patients and discusses oculomotor signs that accompany common vestibular disorders.