[Complications and errors in the management of nose bleeding (author's transl)]

Nose bleeding is a common symptom which is easy to control in 90% of cases, but under certain circumstances and in the presence of various undertaking conditions life itself may be at risk. Even considering that treatment is very often undertaken in emergency conditions, mistakes leading to serious complications occur repeatedly. The most important errors are: an inadequate history, the use of inappropriate or wrongly positioned packing, poor supervision after haemostasis, the mistaken use of chemical cautery, often on both sides, failure to replace the blood loss in time, and delay in undertaking arterial ligation where indicated. The prevention of these and other errors is discussed and detailed report is presented of a case with a post traumatic cavernous sinus fistula.