Table 2.

Prominent associated symptoms, signs, or laboratory results that may be available at the initial ‘Triage’ step to inform diagnosis in dizziness/vertigo

Symptom or finding	Diagnoses that are suggested by the finding
Altered mental status	Wernicke’s encephalopathy; stroke; encephalitis; seizure; intoxication with alcohol, illicit drugs, carbon monoxide; hypertensive encephalopathy
Transient loss of consciousness	Arrhythmia; acute coronary syndrome; aortic dissection; pulmonary embolism; vasovagal syncope; hypovolemia; stroke; subarachnoid hemorrhage; seizure
Headache	Stroke; craniocervical vascular dissection; meningitis; carbon monoxide exposure; vestibular migraine; high or low intracranial pressure; subarachnoid hemorrhage
Neck pain	Craniocervical vascular dissection (esp. vertebral artery)
Chest/back pain	Acute coronary syndrome; aortic dissection
Abdominal/back pain	Ruptured ectopic pregnancy; aortic dissection
Dyspnea	Pulmonary embolism; pneumonia; anemia
Palpitations	Arrhythmia; vasovagal syncope; panic disorder
Bleeding or fluid losses	Hypovolemia; anemia
New/recent medication use	Medication side effects or toxicity (e.g., gentamicin)
Fever or chills	Systemic infection; encephalitis; mastoiditis; meningitis
Abnormal glucose	Symptomatic hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis