Epistaxis Treatment Options: Literature Review

Epistaxis means bleeding from nostrils, nasal cavity or nasopharynx. To summarize the available epistaxis treatment options. Methods: 61 articles published in the last 20 years were included. Duplicate records, irrelevant and inaccessible ones were excluded.  Epistaxis can be treated with first aid measures such as external pressure and ice packing and applying topical agents, e.g. oxymetazoline that stops 65-75% of nosebleeds in A&E. Also, with electrocautery which is more effective and has fewer recurrences (14.5% vs. 35.1%) than chemical cauterization and applying tranexamic acid that promotes hemostasis in 78% of patients, versus 35% and 31% respectively in patients treated with oxymetazoline and nasal packing. Furthermore, nasal packing can be applied with non-absorbable materials, e.g. petroleum jelly, BIPP gauze, PVA nasal tampons (Merocel), Foley catheter, balloons (Rapid-Rhino), absorbable materials, e.g. nasal tampon (Nasopore), and with newer hemostatic materials which are more effective and with fewer complications, e.g. hemostatic gauzes (Surgicel), thrombin matrix (Floseal), gelatin sponge (Spongostan) and fibrin glue. Moreover, epistaxis can be achieved with endoscopic ligation of arteries, mainly SPA, which is more effective than conventional nasal packing (97% vs. 62%), and with endoscopic cauterization which is more effective than ligation. Finally, for intractable cases embolization can be applied using gelatin sponge, foam, PVA and coils with 80% success rate and comparable efficacy and complications to surgical methods. Epistaxis can be dealt with various methods depending on patient's history and available resources. Newer hemostatic agents in combination with endoscopic methods have advantages over traditional methods.