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Query: UMLS:C0042571 (vertigo)
 7,148 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Aerotitis, an acute inflammation of the middle ear caused by the difference in air pressure between the airplane cabin and the middle-ear space, is becoming more common in the United States as our society becomes increasingly mobile. We describe a case in which a 33-year-old woman with a resolving upper respiratory tract infection and mildly blocked eustachian tubes flew on a business trip. During ascent, her ears became blocked. This blockage was partially alleviated by a Valsalva's maneuver. On descent, however, her ears became severely blocked, she experienced intense pain, and her tympanic membranes ruptured. She became nauseated and vomited. Her hearing became significantly diminished and she experienced vertigo. On landing, she was taken to a local emergency room and treated with penicillin and antivertiginous medication. Subsequent otologic evaluation revealed severe permanent sensorineural hearing loss. The vestibular symptoms lasted several months. She now requires hearing aids on a permanent basis. Suggestions are presented for prevention and treatment of aerotitis.
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PMID:Aerotitis: cause, prevention, and treatment. 227 66

Falls are a common geriatric problem causing considerable morbidity, mortality, and affecting the quality of life of many elderly people. A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors of falls among elderly people living in geriatric institutions in Alexandria. The total sample included 103 elderly females and 62 elderly males from six institutions. All participants were subjected to interviewing questionnaire to collect data about history, circumstances, outcome of falls, previous falls and history of diseases and drug intake It included also data about activities of daily living. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, postural hypotension assessment, complete physical examination and Tinetti scale for balance and gait could be completed for a sub-sample. The prevalence of falls was 32.1%. Most of the falls occurred during the daytime (77.4%), mainly in the bedroom or in the way from bed to bathroom (37.7% each). The most likely causes were slip/trip (41.5%) followed by dizziness/vertigo (32.1%). Fractures occurred in 20.8% of falls. Advanced age (70-79, 80 years and above), history of three or more falls, history of disability from previous falls, history of visual problem, history of cardiac and antihypertensive drug use, and mild impairment of balance and gait were significant risk factors for falls in the univariate analysis. All these factors except for the impairment of balance and gait were also significant predictors of falls in the multivariate analysis.
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PMID:Falls among institutionalized elderly in Alexandria. 1721 86

In brief: Sport scuba diving in inland bodies of water has gained in popularity, and travelers to remote areas can fly home soon after a diving trip. Thus it is not unusual to see a case of decompression sickness in an emergency care facility, regardless of its location. Symptoms of decompression sickness may occur minutes or hours after diving with compressed gas. They include marked fatigue, pruritic mottled skin lesions, pain (joints, back, abdomen), weakness or paralysis of isolated or regional muscle groups, paresthesia, urinary retention, loss of anal sphincter control, dyspnea, coughing, vertigo, and substernal pain. Most patients respond quickly to prompt treatment in hyperbaric chambers, and the symptoms resolve completely.
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PMID:Decompression Sickness in Sport Scuba Diving. 2741 29