Hyoscine versus diazepam for the management of true vertigo in the emergency department

Abstract

The present study was a double-blind clinical trial to compare the efficiency of hysocine and diazepam in vertigo treatment. Eligible patients (n=69) were randomly divided into 2 groups of 5 mg hyoscine and 10 mg diazepam. Severity of vertigo was measured in supine and sitting position, and while turning the head. Vertigo severity was assessed before, and 1 and 2 hours after administration of the drug. Treatment success rate of diazepam in relieving vertigo in different positions varied between 88.9 and 100%, while this rate was 31.2–73.5% in hyoscine treatment group (p<0.01). Prescription of diazepam led to complete relief of vertigo in 40–63% of the patients, while this rate was only 2.6–12.5% in hyoscine treatment group (p<0.001). It is likely that diazepam is a better option than hyoscine for management of true vertigo in patients presenting to the emergency department.

Keywords

• Clinical trial
• Diazepam
• Emergency department
• Hyoscine
• True vertigo