title: [Arterial blood gas abnormalities during attacks of dizziness].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated arterial blood gas abnormalities in patients presenting with dizziness.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 58 patients (39 females, 19 males; mean age 46 years; range 22 to 74 years) who presented during attacks of dizziness. The duration of vertigo complaints ranged from one day to 30 years. Arterial gas measurements were performed at presentation and one month after treatment. The patients were examined in five groups according to the diagnoses: Meniere's disease (n=14), benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (n=13), vertebrobasilar insufficiency (n=12), vestibular neuritis (n=4), and craniocervical myofascial syndromes (n=15).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At presentation, pH was low (acidosis) in two patients (3.5%), and high (alkalosis) in 15 patients (25.9%). After treatment, all abnormal pH values returned to normal. Twenty-four patients had high or low HCO3- values. High HCO3- values persisted in three patients together with dizziness. Patients with vestibular neuritis had significantly higher PO2 values compared to those with craniocervical myofascial syndrome and vertebrobasilar insufficiency (p<0.05). However, one month after treatment, there were no significant differences between five groups with respect to PO2 levels (p>0.05). Consecutive blood gas measurements did not differ significantly within each diagnosis group (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that arterial blood gas abnormalities may be related to vertigo attacks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Celal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalkişim
authors.forename: M Doğan
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ozkul
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cukurova
authors.forename: Ilker Burak
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Arslan
mesh_terms: D000138:Acidosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000471:Alkalosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D004244:Dizziness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005156:Facial Neuralgia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D014717:Vertigo / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D020338:Vestibular Neuronitis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis