Objective:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a disease characterized by typical symptoms and signs that can be diagnosed easily with the Dix–Hallpike maneuver. The aim of our study was to highlight the importance of rapidly diagnosing and treating this situation by referring patients suffering from vertigo and BBPV to an ear-nose-throat (ENT) specialist for appropriate management. Thus, the unnecessary health expenses of our country and increasing expenses worldwide for the diagnosis and treatment of BPPV can be prevented, and further unnecessary investigations conducted on these patients admitted to hospitals will be decreased. Also, health will be restored in a short period.

Methods:

In this study, 38 patients which applied to Adana Numune Education and Research Hospital ENT clinic between January 2013 and June 2013 with the complaint of vertigo and in which detected posterior semicircular canal pathology by Dix Hallpike maneuver were inculded. The lab tests and imaging analyses performed by other clinics were queried to exhibit the cost of unnecessary studies before applying to an ENT specialist.

Results:

The type of vertigo, period of vertigo, vertigo with tinnitus, fullness in the ear, hearing loss, vertigo attacks with neurologic deficit (weakness, balance impairment, facial paralysis, headache, syncope attacks... etc), permanent drug use, systemic disease, presence of trauma history were queried in patients history. Neurologic and ear-nose-throat examination were performed to all patients. 38 patients with posterior BBPV according to examination results were included to our study. 26 women (68.4%) and 12 men (31.6%) between the age of 40-72, totally 38 patients, with median age 55.1 were included.

Conclusion:

The diagnosis of BBPV can be exhibitted according to anamnesis and Dix-Hallpike maneuver. Easily diagnosable and treatable disease of BBPV by ENT specialist which is unknown and is not considered important by other clinics increases 7 times more the unnecessary spendings. For his reason when these patients’s anamnesis are taken and are thought as BBPV, before any examination and imaging studies they should be referred to ENT specialist. Thus according to prevention of unnecessary healt spendings contributes economy of our country.

Keywords: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Dix–Hallpike, Epley