Abstract
Although many patients visit the emergency room (ER) with disequilibrium, the epidemiology of these cases has not been well delineated. In this single institutional study, 650 patients presenting to the ER with a complaint of disequilibrium from April 1, 2008, to March 31, 2009 were analyzed from chart review by classifying the symptom into 3 subtypes; dizziness, vertigo and presyncope. Age, gender, neurological findings, resource uses, diagnosis, and the results of specialist consultation were assessed. Patients with dizziness were associated with greater neurological disorders than vertigo patients (p<0.05). The sensitivity of head CT was as low as 30% for ischemic stroke. About 60% of the diagnoses in ER remained as a symptomatic diagnosis. The total ratio of dangerous disorders was 8.5%. It should always be noted that disequilibrium in ER is often associated with life-threatening disorders.
