Specialty: ENT
Age group: Adult
Direct to an appropriate emergency department for:
- Sudden onset debilitating vertigo where the patient is unsteady on their feet or unable to walk without assistance
- Barotrauma with sudden onset vertigo, or symptoms suggestive of stroke or transient ischaemic attacks.
Criteria for referral to public hospital specialist clinic services
- Vertigo that has not responded to vestibular physiotherapy treatment.
Information to be included in the referral
Information that must be provided
- Results of diagnostic vestibular physiotherapy assessment or Epley manoeuvre
- Results of diagnostic audiology assessment
- Onset, duration, nature and frequency of vertigo.
Provide if available
- Description of any of the following:
- functional impact of vertigo
- any associated otological or neurological symptoms
- any previous diagnosis of vertigo (attach correspondence)
- any treatments (medication or other) previously tried, duration of trial and effect
- any previous investigations or imaging results
- hearing or balance symptoms
- past history of middle ear disease or surgery
- History of any of the following:
- cardiovascular problems
- neck problems
- neurological
- auto immune conditions
- eye problems
- previous head injury
Additional comments
The Summary and referral information lists the information that should be included in a referral request.
Note: there are also cardiology statewide referral criteria for Syncope or pre-syncope and neurology statewide referral criteria for Vertigo. Chronic or episodic vertigo and vertigo with other neurological symptoms should be directed to a neurology service.
Where appropriate and available, the referral may be directed to an alternative specialist clinic or service.
Referral to a public hospital is not appropriate for
Not applicable.
Updated