Characteristics and resource needs in patients with vestibular symptoms: a comparison of patients with symptoms of unknown versus determined origin.

Background: Vestibular symptoms are a frequent reason for presenting at the emergency department (ED). Underlying conditions range in severity from life-threatening to benign, but often remain undiagnosed despite extensive investigations. We aimed to identify clinical characteristics that are associated with ED consultations by patients with vestibular symptoms of unknown origin (VUO) and to quantify the ED resources consumed during the investigations.

Frequency, aetiology, and impact of vestibular symptoms in the emergency department: a neglected red flag.

Objective: We aimed to determine the incidence of all vestibular symptoms in a large interdisciplinary tertiary emergency department (ED) and to assess stroke prevalence, and frequency of other life-threatening aetiologies.

Methods: In this 1-year retrospective study, we manually screened all medical records of 23,608 ED visits for descriptions of vestibular symptoms. Symptoms were classified according to the International Classification of Vestibular Disorders of the Bárány Society.