Epistaxis is the commonest otorhinolaryngological emergency affecting up to 60% of the population in their lifetime, with 6% requiring medical attention.

This study was conducted to describe the etiological profile and treatment outcome of epistaxis at Postgraduate Department of ENT and HNS in Government Medical College, Srinagar, India. This was a prospective study of the cases of epistaxis managed at Postgraduate Department of ENT and HNS in Government Medical College, Srinagar, from December 2011 to December 2012. Till date, the data regarding the management of epistaxis in our setting was not available. The purpose was to evaluate the clinical and management options for epistaxis in our settings. The clinical significance of this study can be gauged from the fact that most common ENT emergency, the epistaxis is usually mismanaged at the peripheral centres and this may serve as a reference for proper management options of epistaxis.

A total of 100 patients with epistaxis were studied. Males were affected twice more than the females (2.6:1). Their mean age was 48.63 years (range 4 to 82 years). The modal age group was 41 to 50 years. The commonest cause of epistaxis was Idiopathic (33%) followed by trauma (21%) and hypertension (18%). Anterior nasal bleeding was noted in majority of the patients (89%). Nonsurgical measures, such as light packing with cotton gauze soaked with local hemostatic (hemocoagulase) and antiseptic/antibiotic (36%), silver nitrate cauterization (16%) and anterior nasal packing (15%) and observation alone (11%) were the main intervention methods in 78% of cases. Surgical measures mainly intranasal tumor resection was carried out in 3% of cases.

The most common etiological factor for epistaxis is idiopathic in our setting. Most cases were successfully managed with conservative (light packing with cotton gauze soaked with local hemostatic) treatment alone and surgical intervention with its potential complications may not be necessary in most cases and should be the last resort.

Muzaffar R, Mattoo O, Jallu A, Hussain T. Role of Local Hemostatic Agents in Epistaxis. Clin Rhinol An Int J 2013;6(3):113-117.