Specialty: Neurology
Age group: Adult
Direct to an emergency department for:
- Sudden onset debilitating vertigo where the patient is unsteady on their feet or unable to walk without assistance
- Sudden onset vertigo with other neurological signs or symptoms (e.g. dysphasia, hemiparesis, diplopia, facial weakness)
- Barotrauma with sudden onset vertigo.
Criteria for referral to public hospital specialist clinic services
- Chronic or episodic vertigo (e.g. suspected vestibular migraine)
- Vertigo with other neurological symptoms.
Information to be included in the referral
Information that must be provided
- Onset, duration, characteristics and frequency of vertigo and associated symptoms.
Provide if available
- Results of diagnostic audiology assessment
- Neuroimaging results
- Details of any previous neurology assessments or opinions
- Results of diagnostic vestibular physiotherapy assessment or Epley manoeuvre
- 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 and other) previously tried, duration of trial and effect
- any previous investigations or imaging results
- hearing or balance symptoms
- history of middle ear disease or surgery
- History of any of the following:
- cardiovascular problems
- neck problems
- neurological problems
- auto immune conditions
- eye problems
- previous head injury
- probable or confirmed SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection or Long COVID.
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 ENT statewide referral criteria for Vertigo.
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
- Patients with mild or brief orthostatic dizziness
- Dizziness due to a medicine, hypoglycaemia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Updated