Vertigo the Big 3
Every ‘heart sink list‘ includes the ‘feeling a bit dizzy, doc‘ presentation. Even with the semantic AI diagnostology probe ramped up to 11…’dizzy‘ remains a word reticent to reveal it’s true identity, until it is too late…
Fear not, for Dr Peter Johns, Canadian emergency physician and dizziness demystifier, has made a video on how to diagnose ‘The Big 3 of Vertigo” in the Emergency Department
The big 3 of vertigo: BPPV; Vestibular neurits; an Cerebellar stroke
Summary: The Big 3 of Vertigo
Dr Johns advocates an organized approach. If there are concerning neurological features; severe head or neck pain; or the patient is unable to stand, they warrant a CT scan and an inpatient stay.
Patients whose vertigo is initiated by movement and only lasts less than 2 minutes at a time are most likely suffering from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and would benefit from a Dix-Hallpike test followed by treatment with an Epley maneuver.
It is important to note that patients with BPPV do not have nystagmus at rest, also HINTS+ testing is not indicated in this population (reserved for patients with hours or days of vertigo at rest).
In the presence of horizontal canal BPPV on the Dix-Hallpike test, the Gufoni maneuver is advised. HINTS+ testing is not indicated in this population (reserved for patients with hours or days of continuous vertigo.)
Patients with protracted vertiginous symptoms (hours to days) warrant a HINTS+ examination and in the presence of positive features they require imaging and admission to look for a CVA.
There are four components of the HINTS+ exam and each component has either a ‘central’ or ‘peripheral’ result. If any of the components tested have a positive central result, the result is described as HINTS+ central.
HINTS+ Peripheral | HINTS+ Central | |
Nystagmus | None/ Unidirectional | Bidirectional |
Test of skew | NO vertical skew | Vertical |
Head Impulse Test | Abnormal | Normal |
+ Bedside test of hearing | NO new loss | New loss |
If none of the HINTS+ exam point to a central cause then the patient has vestibular neuritis and may be safely discharged.
Further Reading
- Baker C. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. LITFL
- Nickson C. Ballistically Potent Vertigo. LITFL
- Cassidy T. Vertigo The big 3. LITFL
CLINICAL CASES
Neurological Mind-boggler
Dr Tom Cassidy MBBS FACEM. Emergency physician, Perth Australia. Father of two humans and whimsical lyricist. Special skills: relocating ECGs, reading toxidromes and interpreting dislocations | @tgpcassidy | LinkedIn |
Hi Tom, thanks for featuring my approach.
It’s very important for clinicians to realize that patients with BPPV don’t have nystagmus at rest, and that you can’t use HINTS + exam unless the patient has nystagmus at rest. If you could edit it to include these points, it will prevent a lot of confusion.
Thanks again,
Peter Johns
Ottawa, Canada
🌸AICA strokes or TIA can mimik like Meniere’s
And
🌸PICA strokes can mimik like
BPPV
or
acute unilateral vestibulopathy.
🌸The most important clue, I think is
Vascular risk factors
*Inability to stand*
Swaying to side with eyes open
Especially I find that
*Inability to stand*, tandem gait are really helpful to diagnose a central lesion vs peripheral!
We can make it HINTSS plus
The second S for standing!