Mal de debarquement presenting in the Emergency Department.
Mal de debarquement (MDD) is a common, benign, and self-limited syndrome suffered by many people after disembarkation from an oceangoing vessel. It is characterized by a continuing sensation of being on an unsteady pitching and rolling deck, even after a return to solid ground. Symptoms typically dissipate over several hours or days, but can linger for weeks. There is no effective treatment for MDD, no work-up is required, and patients can be reassured that the symptoms are transient. We present a case of MDD in a previously healthy 22-year-old male, and discuss the approach to MDD in the emergency department setting.
DeFlorio
Paul T
PT
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Silbergleit
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009041:Motion Sickness / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014195:Travel
D012601:Scopolamine