title: Liberatory vertigo: a new prognostic factor for repositioning maneuvers.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Cattinara Hospital, I-34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tirelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Cattinara Hospital, I-34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boscolo Nata
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Cattinara Hospital, I-34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gardenal
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Vittorio Veneto Hospital, 31029 Vittorio Veneto, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ghirardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Cattinara Hospital, I-34149 Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: margheritatofanelli@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tofanelli
mesh_terms: D065635:Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065228:Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D056888:Patient Positioning / Q000379:methods*; D011187:Posture; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies