ºÚÁÏÍø

Abstract

Introduction: Epistaxis is the most common ENT emergency and accounts for 25,000 hospital visits each year in the UK. Nasal cautery with silver nitrate in an identified bleeding point is recommended as the first line treatment for epistaxis by the British Rhinological Society. Objectives: To monitor the outcomes of nasal cautery in our hospital and compare with the reported in the recent national epistaxis audit. To standardise our practice in terms of followup based on the results. Methods: Patients who underwent nasal cautery on a hospital visit from Dec 2015 to Dec 2018 were identified through the electronic medical records. Patient characteristics date and outcome of the clinic visit (follow-up/discharge), type of operator (SHO, SpR, Consultant) and recurrence with a need for repeat cautery were measured. Results: We identified 461 patients who underwent 560 nasal cauteries. Forty-eight percent were children and the overall median age was 18 years. Of these, 17.4% had the procedure done more than once, but only 8.7% required repeat cautery in less than sixty days. There was no difference in outcomes depending on the grade of the operator. Children were more likely to have a repeat cauterisation due to recurrence compared to adults. After the procedure a follow-up appointment was arranged for 79.8% of the cases. Conclusions: Nasal cautery with silver nitrate is performed effectively independent of the operator�s grade and meets the national standards. Discharging these patients from the clinics should reduce unnecessary visits and increase the capacity for other patients, which is now the standard practice in the department.

Biography

Shripathi Acharya G is working as a Director (Academic), Department of PG Studies and Professor and HOD of PG and PhD department of Kayachikitsa, Muniyal Institute of Ayurveda Medical Science, Manipal. He worked as an Observer in RGUHS examination twice at COPS Manipal and Squad Chief, once at St John’s Medical College, Bangalore.