Clinical guidance for the diagnosis and management of vestibular disorders: a practical approach

Abstract Background Vertigo and dizziness present frequently in clinical practice and account for more than 8% of medical consultations. Patients present to a wide variety of medical specialties including ER departments, otology, neurology, GP and family medicine. Diagnosing the underlying cause can be challenging due to the numerous possibilities, and physicians are often concerned about missing a serious condition. Main body The aim of this guide is to fill current gaps of knowledge and to provide a workable practice-oriented guide to all specialties that deal with patients presenting with vestibular symptoms. A graduated, practice-oriented approach was followed, with a comprehensive reference list for further information. This guide is intended as a practical narrative overview for frontline clinicians rather than a formally graded, evidence-based clinical guideline; it does not follow a systematic search strategy, predefined eligibility criteria, formal study appraisal, or certainty-of-evidence grading, and recommendations should be interpreted accordingly. Appendices are added to detail each important step to help the reader interpret the results. Conclusion Using this simple yet comprehensive guide should help clinicians of various specialties manage dizzy patients without excessive time loss or waste of resources.