Emergency of oral haemorrhage: Retrospective study over 2 years

Oral haemorrhages (OH) represent a relatively rare reason for an emergency consultation, among dental pain, infectious processes and traumas. Various haemorrhagic risk factors are described, particularly those related to a general medical context or local factors. It is common to associate OH with haemorrhagic risk patients. Current studies mainly focus on patients considered at risk, but there is limited data on the characteristics of OH in patients without known haemorrhagic risk.

We conducted a 2-year retrospective study in a dental emergency department to identify OH occurring in patients without known haemorrhagic risk and to study their characteristics.

OH accounted for approximately 2% of the reasons for consultation among all consultations carried out for dental emergencies. Their frequency was similar in the population of patients without hemorrhagic risk and those with a confirmed risk. They mainly occurred in young patients, without medical history. They also led to the diagnosis of an underlying pathology in about 1% of cases.

This study underscores the importance of accurately documenting patients' medical history during preoperative consultations, as well as identifying associated risk factors. It also highlights that OH can be an early sign of a systemic disorder.