Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Minimally Invasive Thumb-sized Pterional Craniotomy for Surgical Clip Ligation of Unruptured Anterior Circulation Aneurysms
Published on: August 11, 2015
Inpatient management of epistaxis: outcomes and cost
John C Goddard1, Evan R Reiter
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Objective:
Evaluate treatments for epistaxis.
Study Design And Setting:
Retrospective review of Nationwide Inpatient Sample (1998-2000).
Results:
A total of 9778 admissions with admitting diagnosis "epistaxis" were identified. Among admissions involving 1 treatment, 454 (9.6%) received arterial ligation, 94 (2.0%) embolization, and 4188 (88.4%) nasal packing. There were no differences in length of stay, transfusions, complications, or deaths between groups (all P > 0.05). Mean total hospital charges were USD 6,282 for the packing group, USD 12,805 for the ligation group, and USD 17,517 for the embolization group; differences between ligation and packing groups, and embolization and packing groups demonstrated significance ( P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Nasal packing is used commonly for epistaxis that requires inpatient management. Although embolization and arterial ligation are associated with higher hospital charges, complications, transfusion rates, and lengths of stay are similar. Further studies are needed to quantify other outcome measures, such as recurrence rates and patient quality of life.
Significance:
Nasal packing is associated with lower hospital charges and similar complication rates as arterial ligation or embolization.
Related Concept Videos
Epistaxis
Etiology
Possible causes of this condition include high blood pressure, trauma, low humidity, upper respiratory tract infections, allergies, foreign bodies, nasal inhalation of corticosteroids or illicit drugs, excessive use of decongestant nasal sprays, facial or nasal surgery, anatomic malformation, tumors, or systemic...
Tonsillitis II: Management
Endoscopic Studies II: Thoracocentesis
Description
Excess pleural fluid or air may accumulate in some respiratory disorders in the thoracic cavity. To treat pleural effusion, a physician conducts thoracentesis by carefully piercing the chest wall and entering...
Suctioning the Nasopharyngeal Airway
Equipment Required
Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
Aneurysm IV: Nursing Management