ABSTRACT
Epistaxis – an emergency with a diverse aetiology
Epistaxis is a common reason for medical consultation in the ENT emergency room, but very often the patient goes to the general practitioner or a hospital emergency department. Epistaxis is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. Depending on the severity of the bleeding, the treatment involves coagulation, nasal packing or, when these are unsuccessful, endoscopic ligation of the sphenopalatine artery, or embolization or surgical ligation of the maxillary, ethmoid or external carotid artery. The aim of diagnostic work-up is to determine the local cause or the systemic reason (symptomatic bleeding). A detailed history very often allows for making a tentative diagnosis. Anterior rhinoscopy, nasal endoscopy and imaging studies may be necessary. Recurrent epistaxis should be consulted with an internal medicine doctor and a haematologist, because symptomatic bleeding represents 75% of cases of epistaxis.
Piśmiennictwo
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