Frequency of Epistaxis by Months and Daytime Hours

Abstract

Objective: Epistaxis, which is a common otorhinolaryngologic emergency, is not a disease itself but an important nosesymptom. It affects 60% of the population at any given life stage. However, only 6% seek medical attention. This study aimsto investigate the daily and monthly variations and frequency of epistaxis and to determine the relationship between bleedingfoci and comorbidities. Materials and Methods: The study involves examining the retrospective records of patients who presented with epistaxisto Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Medical Faculty’s Otorhinolaryngological Unit. Parameters evaluated include age, sex, bleeding time, comorbidities, arterial blood pressure, bleeding site, and month of presentation. The bleedingoccurrence time was categorized as morning (06:01–12:00), afternoon (12:01–18:00), evening (18:01–00:00), and night(00:01–06:00). Results: Seven hundred and thirty-five patients presented with epistaxis during March 2015–December 2019. One hundredand fourteen patients (19.6%) experienced epistaxis in the morning, 60 (8.2%) in the afternoon, 408 (55.5%) in the evening,and 123 (16.7%) in the night. Epistaxis was more common in the morning and evening in hypertensive patients and in theevening in other comorbidities (p=0.005). Bleeding rate was higher in the evening in all months (p=0.002). Increased epi staxis frequency in winter was statistically significant (p=0.027). Posterior epistaxis cases were the elderly, hypertensive, andhaving increased comorbidities (p>0.001). Conclusion: In general, bleeding cases were high in winter and in the evening. Comorbidities were found to be amongthe provocative factors for epistaxis, especially of posterior origin. This shows that circadian rhythm is effective in epistaxis.