Liberatory vertigo: a new prognostic factor for repositioning maneuvers.

OBJECTIVE: This study suggests the new concept of liberatory vertigo to facilitate emergency department treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

METHODS: The present prospective nonrandomized study enrolled 535 patients with typical forms of positional vertigo, who were treated following clinical practice guidelines. We observed the onset of liberatory vertigo during the maneuver as a prognostic factor, and we tested the correlation between that symptom and therapeutic effectiveness. A subjective evaluation of vertigo was made by way of a questionnaire. Data analysis was performed that made use of statistical software.

RESULTS: Complete recovery occurred in 287 patients (76.5%) with posterior semicircular canal positional vertigo and in 67 patients (80%) with horizontal semicircular canal positional vertigo; liberatory vertigo occurred in 195 (67.9%) and 59 (88%) of those cases, respectively. Differences in terms of recovery probability resulted regardless of the canal involved. Positive predictive value ranged from 93% to 97%.

CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, liberatory vertigo could predict the effectiveness of the maneuver regardless of the canal involved.