Fibrin glue treatment for epistaxis

Our study was made to prove the second-generation surgical fibrin sealant Quixil to be an effective substitute for nasal packing, chemical coagulation and cautery in management of patients with epistaxis. Our series includes 204 patients with anterior epistaxis (186), and with posterior epistaxis (18) as results of trauma, clotting disorders, chronic and/or atrophic rhinitis and upper respiratory infections, and hypertension. Patients were randomly divided into four groups: with fibrin glue (67) (Quixil), with electric cautery (61), with silver nitrate coagulation (60), and with foam nasal packing (16). For the fibrin glue group, hemostasis was achieved by spraying with 0.3 ml Quixil fibrin glue to each bleeding nostril. The results were excellent in all of the 62 (92.5%) patients of the fibrin glue group with complete and immediate hemostasis. We found good healing of bleeding sites, no swelling and secondary bleeding, no inflammation, no plaque or crists. Three months monitoring of atrophic changes of the nasal mucosa proved absence of atrophy of the nasal mucosa. In this group, the bleeding time averaged 2 min 30 sec since the moment of admittance. In the groups where cautery, coagulation, or nasal packing was used, we found local swelling, pain, and slow healing of the bleeding site with accidental atrophy of the nasal mucosa. The rates of these side effects were significantly higher in comparison with the fibrin glue group. The bleeding time was also longer. We found that the fibrin glue is more effective hemostatic in comparison with foam nasal packing, cautery and coagulation, and provides no complications usual for these types of treatment of epistaxis.