International Journal of General Medicine (Sep 2022)
Change in Diagnosis of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo During COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract
Dong-Han Lee, Jung Eun Shin, Taesik Jung, Chang-Hee Kim Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of KoreaCorrespondence: Chang-Hee Kim, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, 120-1 Neungdong-ro (Hwayang-dong), Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05030, Republic of Korea, Tel +82-2-2030-7666, Fax +82-2-2030-5299, Email [email protected]: The present study investigated the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).Patients and Methods: The medical records of BPPV patients who were evaluated in the outpatient department (OPD) and emergency room (ER) during (435 patients) and before (517 patients) the COVID-19 pandemic were retrospectively reviewed. Dix-Hallpike and supine head-roll tests were used to classify the subtype of BPPV as posterior semicircular canal (PSCC), geotropic lateral semicircular canal (geotropic LSCC), or apogeotropic lateral semicircular canal (apogeotropic LSCC) BPPV.Results: More patients with PSCC BPPV were diagnosed at the OPD compared with those who were diagnosed at the ER both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, more patients with LSCC BPPV were diagnosed at the ER compared with those who were diagnosed at the OPD during the same periods. The mean time interval between vertigo onset and initial evaluation was remarkably longer during the pandemic in patients with PSCC BPPV.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the incidences of BPPV subtypes according to hospital visit type were not significantly different before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because hospital visits were delayed in patients with PSCC BPPV during the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine or e-health could be suitable alternatives to face-to-face medical care for these patients.Keywords: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, COVID-19, emergency room, outpatient department, healthcare use behavior, hospital visit type
