Predicting Central Neurological Causes of Vertigo, Dizziness, and Unsteadiness in Emergency Department Patients Using Bedside Examination

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate how well an examination method performed by emergency department ED physicians can identify central neurological causes of symptoms like vertigo, dizziness, and unsteadiness. The study will also explore factors that predict when these symptoms have a central cause. By doing this, it hopes to reduce misdiagnoses and lower the need for unnecessary neuroimaging tests, which can increase costs and hospital stays. Participants include patients who come to the ED with vertigo, dizziness, or unsteadiness. During their ED visit, trained emergency physicians or residents will perform a thorough bedside examination focused on vertigo. This study is observational and will monitor patients over a period of up to 36 months to assess how accurate the bedside examination is and how often neuroimaging tests are performed. Participants will undergo the bedside examination during their ED visit, and researchers will collect data on the examinations accuracy measured by the area under the curve AUC over 36 months. They will also track predictors of true positive cases and the number of neuroimaging tests given. The study focuses on improving diagnosis and patient management without introducing new treatments. Participation requires giving consent and involves observation during routine care.

Lost in the Labyrinth: Predicting Central Neurological Causes of Vertigo Dizziness and Unsteadiness in the Emergency Department. A Multicentre Cross-sectional Observational Study