Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A practical approach for emergency physicians. 2023

Jonathan A Edlow, and Kevin Kerber
Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a very common condition in the population and an important cause of acute vertigo or dizziness in patients presenting to an emergency department (ED). Despite this, abundant evidence shows that current ED management of patients with BPPV is suboptimal. Common ED management processes include brain imaging and treatment with vestibular suppressant medications such as meclizine, neither of which is recommended by current guidelines. The most efficient management of BPPV is to perform a bedside test (Dix-Hallpike test) and then to treat the patients with a bedside positional (the Epley) maneuver. In this practical review we emphasize the efficient management for the most common form of BPPV-posterior canal BPPV. Using this management will reduce resource utilization (laboratory testing, brain imaging, specialist consultation), reduce ED length of stay, and reduce use of ineffective mediations that have side effects but little therapeutic effect. Application of these practices would improve important patient-centered outcomes such as symptom reduction, radiation exposure, side effects from medications, and less need for urgent follow-up with another health care provider. The article also discusses the approach to patients in whom the Dix-Hallpike and/or Epley maneuvers do not seem to work. This includes a discussion the second most common variant of BPPV (horizontal canal BPPV) and criteria for safe discharge of patients. Another important advantage of learning BPPV best practices is that it is enormously satisfying for the clinician, not unlike treating a child with a nursemaid's elbow.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010820 Physicians Individuals licensed to practice medicine. Physician
D001921 Brain The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM. Encephalon
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D004244 Dizziness An imprecise term which may refer to a sense of spatial disorientation, motion of the environment, or lightheadedness. Lightheadedness,Orthostasis,Dizzyness,Light-Headedness,Light Headedness
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D056888 Patient Positioning Moving a patient into a specific position or POSTURE to facilitate examination, surgery, or for therapeutic purposes. Patient Positionings,Positioning, Patient,Positionings, Patient
D065635 Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Idiopathic recurrent VERTIGO associated with POSITIONAL NYSTAGMUS. It is associated with a vestibular loss without other neurological or auditory signs. Unlike in LABYRINTHITIS and VESTIBULAR NEURONITIS, inflammation in the ear is not observed. Benign Recurrent Vertigo,Familial Benign Recurrent Vertigo,Familial Vestibulopathy,Vertigo, Benign Paroxysmal Positional,Vertigo, Benign Recurrent,Vestibulopathy, Familial,Benign Recurrent Vertigos,Familial Vestibulopathies,Recurrent Vertigo, Benign,Recurrent Vertigos, Benign,Vestibulopathies, Familial

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