Vertigo - Melanie Collins | Goodfellow Unit

Melanie Collins talks about the management of vertigo in general practice. Melanie is an ENT surgeon at North Shore Hospital and at the ENT group at Mercy Hospital in Auckland.

Topics

How does the sensation of vertigo differ from dizziness and disequilibrium?
Patient friendly way of explaining vertigo.
What are the potential underlying causes for vertigo?
Key questions to ask patients
Duration of symptoms
Essentials to cover when examining a patient with vertigo
Red flags to look out for
Diagnosis and management:
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
- Meniere's disease
- Is Vestibular Neuritis the same as Labyrinthitis?
- Key points on acoustic neuroma and cholesteatoma
- Vestibular migraine

Take home messages

Time is required to do a careful history
BPPV is a common condition so don’t be anxious about doing a dix-hallpike test or learning how to do an epley manoeuvre
Vertigo can be managed in general practice and can also benefit from a specialist opinion to fine tune.