Management of the Dizzy Patient

Preview “True Tales from a Physician Assistant”Management of the Dizzy Patient, Editor Joel Goebel

I spent two years seeing mostly dizzy patients in a sub-specialty practice. One book that helped me navigate the large differential diagnosis is “Practical Management of the Dizzy Patient.” Whether you work in a family practice or in otolaryngology, you are bound to see a good number of dizzy patients over the years. The possible underlying etiologies range from the harmless to the life-threatening. Knowing what kind of history to take and familiarity with a handful of simple exam techniques can make the difference between throwing up your hands and ordering Meclizine (sometimes more harmful than helpful) and helping the patient rule out the more worrisome causes.

This 406-page-long book devotes seventeen pages just to history-taking. A full fifty pages are spent discussing how to physically examine the dizzy patient. Other chapters cover different classes of medications that can cause imbalance or vertigo.

Perhaps most valuable is the chapter that outlines “the 10-minute exam.” I have the 2001 edition and have not seen the 2008 version. The first edition can be found (hardcover, used) on Amazon for $30.

This book will be a valuable addition to the library of any clinician.

Preview “True Tales from a Physician Assistant” by Seth Wittner PA-C

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIz2V1T_EPY   video on “Practical Management Of The Dizzy Patient”