How to Calculate Sudbury Vertigo Risk Score

The Sudbury Vertigo Risk Score is calculated by the addition of points from each variable.

FORMULA

Score = (Male ? 1 : 0) + (Age >65 ? 1 : 0) + (Diabetes ? 1 : 0) + (Hypertension ? 3 : 0) + (Motor or sensory deficit ? 5 : 0) + (Cerebellar deficit ? 6 : 0) - (BPPV diagnosis ? 5 : 0)

Variable	Description	Points
Male	Patient's sex is male	+1
Age >65 years	Patient is older than 65 years	+1
Diabetes	Patient has a diagnosis of diabetes	+1
Hypertension	Patient has a history of hypertension	+3
Motor or sensory deficit	Patient has either motor or sensory neurological deficits	+5
Cerebellar deficit	Includes diplopia, dysarthria, dysphagia, dysmetria, or ataxia	+6
BPPV diagnosis (protective)	A clinical diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is present	−5

Enter the values and calculate the result.

Using the Sudbury Vertigo Risk Score Calculator

This calculator aids in assessing the risk of serious diagnosis in patients with vertigo.

Input the patient's characteristics. Outputs the score, risk of serious diagnosis, and clinical implication.

Example 1: Female, Age 60, No diabetes, No hypertension, No deficit, No cerebellar, Yes BPPV.

1. Male: 0
2. Age >65: 0
3. Diabetes: 0
4. Hypertension: 0
5. Deficit: 0
6. Cerebellar: 0
7. BPPV: 1
8. Score: -5
9. Risk: 0%
10. Implication: Low risk - no further testing needed

Example 2: Male, Age 70, Diabetes yes, Hypertension yes, Deficit yes, Cerebellar yes, No BPPV.

1. Male: 1
2. Age >65: 1
3. Diabetes: 1
4. Hypertension: 3
5. Deficit: 5
6. Cerebellar: 6
7. BPPV: 0
8. Score: 17
9. Risk: Up to 41% or higher
10. Implication: High risk - urgent evaluation and neuroimaging

Use for risk stratification.

Common FAQ

Below are frequently asked questions about Sudbury Vertigo Risk Score:

• Q: What is Sudbury Vertigo Risk Score?
  A: Assesses risk of serious diagnosis in vertigo patients.
• Q: What is BPPV?
  A: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
• Q: What are cerebellar deficits?
  A: Includes diplopia, dysarthria, dysphagia, dysmetria, or ataxia.
• Q: How accurate?
  A: Based on clinical studies.
• Q: For which patients?
  A: Patients presenting with vertigo.

Advice on Interpreting Results

Use to inform decisions on further testing and evaluation.

Facts & Figures

Interpretation:

Sudbury Vertigo Risk Score	Risk of Serious Diagnosis	Clinical Implication
<5	0%	Low risk - no further testing needed
5–8	~2–4%	Moderate risk - further investigation if unclear
>8	Up to 41% or higher	High risk - urgent evaluation and neuroimaging