The weak and dizzy patient

The weak and dizzy patient presents a dilemma for the emergency physician. Because of the non-specificity of symptoms, the physician is often faced with uncertainty as to how to initiate his evaluation. This retrospective study examines the case histories of 106 consecutive patients who presented with the chief complaints of weakness and/or dizziness. Weak and dizzy patients over the age of 60 had a greater incidence of potentially serious and treatable disease. Twenty percent of this age group had symptoms directly attributable to prescribed medications.