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Filter by:Dizziness, loss of balance, and unsteadiness of gait are common symptoms reported by Emergency Department (ED) patients. The incidence of acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) is increasing and reaches 2-4% of ED visits. In the ED of the Paris Saint Joseph Hospital Group, its incidence was 5% during the year 2019 and 2% during the year 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic period). Emergency medicine is based on a dichotomous principle for any acute pathology in the initial phase. For AVS, the diagnostic dilemma for emergency physicians is usually to differentiate a benign vestibular cause from a potentially serious cerebral cause such as ischemic stroke of the vertebro-basilar territory. The majority of AVS are related to acute vestibulopathies, yet it is necessary to recognize and distinguish a benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) from a vestibular neuritis, a vestibular migraine, or a labyrinthine hydrops, to exclude with certainty a cerebral involvement. However, posterior fossa strokes mimic 5% of BPPV and 25% of vestibular neuritis. Among these strokes, about 20% are therefore revealed by a VAS without associated localizing neurological sign. In the absence of a clear neurological sign, the emergency physician must therefore decide whether to treat the patient as an outpatient when he or she suspects a AVS of "peripheral" origin (otolaryngology), or as an inpatient when he or she suspects a "central" origin, in particular a stroke.
Vertigo integrated with acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) is a frequent reason for emergency visits. The French and international literature estimates between 2 to 4% of vertigo prevalence among reasons for coming to emergencies. International classifications define AVS as vertigo or acute dizziness (less than one month) and persistent, gait instability, nausea or vomiting, nystagmus or an intolerance to head movements. In emergency departments, the clinical approach of vertiginous patients is difficult because the "vertigo" term is sometimes used in by patients, or because they use the terms "uneasiness", "vertigo", or "dizziness" without distinction. These terms sometimes include various sensations of "sleeping head", "blurred vision", "instability", "pitch" etc. A first difficulty is therefore to clarify these terms and organize syndrome expressed by the patient. A rigorous interrogation is therefore essential and can be time-consuming. Another difficulty is to carry out an exhaustive clinical examination including the assessment of the general condition and hydration, an ENT examination and a neurological examination. However, at the end of these steps, the orientation central or peripheral etiology is not simple. In the last consensus conference of the Barany Society (2014) the classification of VAS into three types was not sufficient to distinguish "benign" vertigo from "risky" dizziness (related to a central cause).