[The effect of increased secretory activity of the nasal mucosa on the duration of the recovery period after anterior tamponade with gauze tampons during surgery of the nasal septum]. / Vliyanie kombinirovannoi sekretoliticheskoi i protivovospalitel'noi terapii na techenie vosstanovitel'nogo perioda posle rinoseptoplastiki.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect on the duration and course of the nasal mucosa function recovery after anterior nasal packing during surgery involving the nasal septum and inferior nasal conchae combined with concomitant therapy with the herbal medicinal product Sinupret extract (Bionorica SE, Germany). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 25 males aged 18-50 (the main group), permanent residents of the Novosibirsk region diagnosed with deviated nasal septum at least 2 years ago. All patients underwent rhinoseptoplasty with nasal packing with gauze tampons for 24 hours at the clinical base of the Otorhinolaryngology Department of the Novosibirsk State Medical University.Patients of the main group received Sinupret extract 1 tablet BID for 10 days before the planned rhinoseptoplasty and 7 days after the rhinoseptoplasty. Patients in control group 1 (n=16) received Sinupret 2 coated tablets TID for 10 days before the surgery and 7 days after the surgery. Patients in control group 2 (n=16) did not receive secretory therapy in the preoperative and postoperative periods of rhinoseptoplasty. RESULTS: The herbal medicinal product improved nasal breathing. All studied parameters demonstrated the benefit of the treatment including Sinupret extract (p<0.05). On day 5 in patients of the main study group, nasal breathing was normal, and nasal crusting was reduced due to activation of the mucous membrane secretory function. Nasal mucosa ciliary clearance was better in patients in the main group than in patients in the control groups at all stages of the study. Sinupret extract for 10 days before and 5 days after the surgery helps reduce nasal crusting and restore nasal breathing by day 2 and normalizes ciliary clearance by day 5 after nasal packing. CONCLUSION: Due to the wide use of nasal packing with gauze tampons, otorhinolaryngologists commonly administer herbal medicinal products as a means of drug protection of the nasal mucous membrane.

[Connotation of distal bleeding based on modern pathophysiological mechanism and application of Huangtu Decoction for acute coronary syndrome complicated with acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in critical care medicine].

Huangtu Decoction, first recorded in Essentials from the Golden Cabinet(Jin Kui Yao Lue) from ZHANG Zhong-jing in Han dynasty, is used to treat distal bleeding. It is mainly treated for the syndrome of failing to control blood with spleen-yang deficiency. The connotation of distal bleeding is more extensive, including not only upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the traditional sense such as peptic ulcer bleeding, gastrointestinal tumors, gastric mucosal lesions, vascular dysplasia, esophagogastric variceal bleeding, and pancreatic and biliary tract injury, but also other anorectal diseases such as part colon and rectal cancer swelling or polyps, hemorrhoids, and anal fissure and other parts of bleeding such as epistaxis, thrombocytopenia, functional uterine bleeding, threatened abortion, and unexplained hematuria. Distal bleeding also involves syndromes of failing to keep part deficient and cold fluids in interior, such as nocturia, enuresis, clear nose, sweating, cold tears, and leucorrhea, and excessive gastrointestinal bleeding caused by anti-plate and anticoagulant drugs, unexplained positive in the fecal occult blood test, and other modern clinical new problems. The indications of Huangtu Decoction include not only lower blood, defecation before blood, distant blood, hematemesis, epistaxis, and other diseases in traditional Chinese medicine, but also three types of clinical manifestations including bleeding, deficiency syndrome, and stagnant heat syndrome. In the clinic, Huangtu Decoction can be used to treat acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, acute coronary syndrome complicated with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, bleeding events caused by excessive antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, unexplained positive in the fecal occult blood test, gastrointestinal tumor with bleeding, thrombocytopenia, and other acute and critical diseases. The dosage of Cooking Stove Earthkey, Rehmanniae Radix, and Asini Corii Colla in Huangtu Decoction is the key to hemostasis.

Providing Evidence for Dogma: Risk of Epistaxis After COVID-19 Nasal-Screening Swab.

OBJECTIVE: There is anecdotal evidence SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) RT-PCR screening nasal swabs confer an elevated epistaxis risk. We aimed to assess the association between epistaxis and exposure to a COVID nasal swab. STUDY DESIGN: A matched pairs design was used. SETTING: The study was performed in a single, integrated health care system. METHODS: All patients who received a single COVID nasal swab at our institution between April 2020 and March 2021 were included. McNemar's test was used to compare rates of epistaxis between the 7 days following the index COVID swab (hazard period), and the 7 days preceding the index COVID swab (control period). Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate sociodemographic and clinical risk factors for epistaxis. RESULTS: A total of 827,987 participants were included, with 1047 epistaxis encounters. The prevalence of epistaxis during the hazard and control periods were 0.08% and 0.04%, respectively. Swab exposure was associated with 1.92-fold odds of epistaxis during the hazard period (95% confidence interval [1.73, 2.12]). Older age, Asian/Pacific Islander (PI) (compared to white), male sex, hypertension, prior facial trauma, and warfarin or direct-acting oral anticoagulant use were also associated with significantly increased odds of epistaxis (p ≦ 0.01). CONCLUSION: COVID nasal swabs are associated with increased odds of epistaxis. Physicians should counsel patients, particularly those at the highest risk, including a history of prior facial trauma, anticoagulants/antiplatelets, or hypertension.

Connotation of distal bleeding based on modern pathophysiological mechanism and application of Huangtu Decoction for acute coronary syndrome complicated with acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in critical care medicine / 中国中药杂志

Huangtu Decoction, first recorded in Essentials from the Golden Cabinet(Jin Kui Yao Lue) from ZHANG Zhong-jing in Han dynasty, is used to treat distal bleeding. It is mainly treated for the syndrome of failing to control blood with spleen-yang deficiency. The connotation of distal bleeding is more extensive, including not only upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the traditional sense such as peptic ulcer bleeding, gastrointestinal tumors, gastric mucosal lesions, vascular dysplasia, esophagogastric variceal bleeding, and pancreatic and biliary tract injury, but also other anorectal diseases such as part colon and rectal cancer swelling or polyps, hemorrhoids, and anal fissure and other parts of bleeding such as epistaxis, thrombocytopenia, functional uterine bleeding, threatened abortion, and unexplained hematuria. Distal bleeding also involves syndromes of failing to keep part deficient and cold fluids in interior, such as nocturia, enuresis, clear nose, sweating, cold tears, and leucorrhea, and excessive gastrointestinal bleeding caused by anti-plate and anticoagulant drugs, unexplained positive in the fecal occult blood test, and other modern clinical new problems. The indications of Huangtu Decoction include not only lower blood, defecation before blood, distant blood, hematemesis, epistaxis, and other diseases in traditional Chinese medicine, but also three types of clinical manifestations including bleeding, deficiency syndrome, and stagnant heat syndrome. In the clinic, Huangtu Decoction can be used to treat acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, acute coronary syndrome complicated with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, bleeding events caused by excessive antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, unexplained positive in the fecal occult blood test, gastrointestinal tumor with bleeding, thrombocytopenia, and other acute and critical diseases. The dosage of Cooking Stove Earthkey, Rehmanniae Radix, and Asini Corii Colla in Huangtu Decoction is the key to hemostasis.

Adverse events of biological therapy in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: A systematic review.

The management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is challenging due to disease recurrence and adverse effects. Both surgical and medical treatment modalities impact the quality of patients' lives. Monoclonal antibody treatment has recently been used successfully in CRS with limited reported adverse events. We aimed to review the literature to shed more light on the safety and adverse events associated with the biological therapy of CRSwNP. A comprehensive systematic review was conducted on the safety of different biological treatments when used for managing CRSwNP. We have included 13 studies in the present systematic review, including 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one cross-sectional study. The total sample size for the included studies was 2282 patients. Six studies investigated the safety and adverse events of dupilumab; three investigated omalizumab, three investigated mepolizumab, and only one investigated reslizumab. Some studies have reported that adverse events were common with these types of drugs. However they were not specific and self-limited. Headaches, injection site reactions, and pharyngitis were the most common adverse events found among the reported adverse events. The Dupilumab trial reported pharyngitis in 225 patients (22.4 %) followed by erythema in 9.4 %, headache in 8.1 %, epistaxis in 5.1 %, and asthma in 1.7 % of patients. Trials which used omalizumab reported headaches, nasal pharyngitis, injection-site reactions to be the most common adverse events with estimated prevalence rates of 8.1 %, 5.9 %, and 5.2 %, respectively. Mepolizumab and reslizumab studies reported that 40 % of patients were complicated by nasal polyps/congestion/pharyngitis/infections, 14 had a headache (15.5 %), two developed asthma (2.2 %), and only one patient (1.1 %) had epistaxis as an adverse event. Although the literature's current investigations indicate the safety of the biologic treatment modalities, further studies are needed as some uncertainty among the trials have been reported.

Not Your Typical Nosebleed: A Case Report and Personal Account of a Patient With Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome.

Introduction Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome, or hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, is a rare genetic disease that causes recurrent epistaxis and anemia. Numerous bleeding vascular malformations can be found throughout the body. Case presentation A 75-year-old woman presented to her hematologist with recurrent epistaxis, iron deficiency anemia, menorrhagia, and hypothyroidism. Her mother had similar nosebleeds, and physical examination revealed small vascular malformations on the conjunctiva, oropharynx, tongue, lip, and palate. Heavy epistaxis occurred several times per week. Multiple nasal and gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures were performed. She received over 100 iron infusions and multiple blood transfusions. Overall treatment involved integrated care with multiple medical specialties. Conclusion Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and other complex diseases are best treated with a multidisciplinary approach within an integrated health care setting.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia with liver cirrhosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is an autosomal dominant hereditary hemorrhagic disease. Its main feature is an abnormal structure of the blood vessel wall. Cirrhosis of the liver is a common chronic progressive disease with one or more causes in which diffuse liver damage occurs after long-term or repeated injury. Liver cirrhosis can cause dilation of gastrointestinal capillaries. Many patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia accompanied by gastrointestinal vascular malformations and liver cirrhosis may be diagnosed only with liver cirrhosis if the clinician does not pay attention to physical examination findings and family history. Moreover, general treatment measures, such as blood transfusion, iron supplementation, and application of hemostatic drugs, are less effective for bleeding in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia than in those with liver cirrhosis alone. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we report the rare case of a 75-year-old Chinese man who was admitted to the hospital with repeated melena and epistaxis. He was diagnosed with unexplained liver cirrhosis, which was later confirmed as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Subsequently, we implemented the treatment intervention of oral thalidomide combined with gastrointestinal argon plasma coagulation. A follow-up of more than 8 months showed that the treatment effect was excellent. CONCLUSIONS: If patients with liver cirrhosis and gastrointestinal vascular malformations also have a family history of epistaxis, special attention should be paid to targeted physical examination results, and the possibility of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia should be considered. Moreover, for patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and both gastrointestinal bleeding caused by gastrointestinal capillaries and repeated epistaxis, when other general treatment measures are ineffective, thalidomide combined with gastrointestinal argon plasma coagulation may be an effective intervention.

Sudden-onset haemolacria in an adolescent girl.

Haemolacria, also known as bloody tears, is a physical condition in which a person produces tears partially composed of blood. Multiple disorders can cause haemolacria, including trauma, inflammation, vascular lesions, vicarious menstruation, blood disorders, epistaxis, tumours and psychiatric and systemic disorders. Often, no aetiology is identified. It is usually benign, self-limiting, and the treatment depends on the cause. A 14-year-old girl presented to the paediatric emergency department with sudden onset of bloody tears from both eyes and epistaxis for the first time. A detailed history focusing on aetiological factors was unremarkable. Systemic, ocular, nasal and paranasal examination was also unremarkable. Radiological and laboratory investigations were normal, and the patient was diagnosed with idiopathic haemolacria. High-dose oral vitamin C, prophylactic iron therapy and psychological support were provided as conservative treatment. During regular follow-up, there was a spontaneous reduction in the frequency of symptoms.

Haemorrhagic nasal polyp mimicking melanoma in an 83-year-old on rivaroxaban.

An 83-year-old woman presented with rapid onset unilateral nasal obstruction after sneezing. She had a history of hypertension and atrial fibrillation, and was on rivaroxaban. Examination revealed a dark red polypoidal lesion completely obstructing the left nostril. She underwent CT and MRI, and proceeded to urgent excision biopsy of the lesion. Intraoperative appearance was in keeping with a haemorrhagic polyp arising from the nasal septum. Histology revealed haematoma within a layer of nasal mucosa. There was no evidence of haemangioma underlying the polyp. Our literature search has identified this case as the first described haemorrhagic polyp of the nasal septum. It is likely that rivaroxaban contributed to the formation of this haemorrhagic polyp, and it is important to differentiate benign haemorrhagic lesions from malignant conditions such as melanoma. Similar cases may become more common in the future as the proportion of the population on anticoagulants increases.

Sudden nasal bleeding and brodifacoum: A case of accidental exposure or attempted homicide?

A 50-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department with abrupt massive epistaxis. An accurate anamnesis and physical evaluation could not reveal any other anomalies, while coagulation tests showed potentially life threatening prolonged prothrombin time, with activated partial thromboplastin and thrombin time, with fibrinogen and antithrombin III within limits. Despite the prompt pharmacological and compressive local treatment, bleeding continued and the patient was therefore hospitalized. Highly specific coagulation and toxicological testing-among others high-performance liquid chromatography assessment on plasma-were performed, leading to the unexpected identification of brodifacoum. Police and criminal justice authorities revealed the source of exposure to brodifacoum after several months of investigation, residing in his everyday life. Brodifacoum is a long-lasting anticoagulant, acting as a vitamin K antagonist, and belongs to the family of superwarfarins. Brodifacoum use is authorized as rodenticide in many countries worldwide, but has been reported as cause of severe coagulopathies in humans, both intentional or involuntary, even consumed as a contaminant of herbal drugs, such as cannabis. The original contribution of this case to the knowledges of human brodifacoum intoxication resides in the multidisciplinary approach and the collaborative interplay of clinical and toxicology experts as well as judicial authorities.

Management of epistaxis in patients on novel oral anticoagulation therapy.

BACKGROUND: Individuals on anticoagulation therapy are at increased risk of bleeding, including epistaxis. There is a lack of available reversal agents for novel oral anticoagulation therapy. OBJECTIVE: This paper reviews the current literature on epistaxis in the context of novel oral anticoagulation use, in order to recommend guidelines on management. METHOD: A comprehensive search of published literature was conducted to identify all relevant articles published up to April 2019. RESULTS: Patients on oral anticoagulation therapy are over-represented in individuals with epistaxis. Those on novel oral anticoagulation therapy were more likely to relapse compared to patients on classic oral anticoagulants or non-anticoagulated patients. Idarucizumab is an effective antidote for bleeding associated with dabigatran use. Recommendations for epistaxis management in patients on novel oral anticoagulation therapy are outlined. CONCLUSION: Clinicians need to be aware of the potential severity of epistaxis and the increased likelihood of recurrence. High-quality studies are required to determine the efficacy and safety of andexanet alfa and ciraparantag, as well as non-specific reversal agents.

An International Survey on the pragmatic management of epistaxis.

Epistaxis is one of the most common ear, nose and throat emergencies. The management of epistaxis has evolved significantly in recent years, including the use of nasal cautery and packs. However, a correct treatment requires the knowledge of nasal anatomy, potential risks, and complications of treatment. Epistaxis is often a simple and readily treatable condition, even though a significant bleed may have potentially severe consequences. At present, there are very few guidelines concerning this topic. The current Survey explored the pragmatic approach in managing epistaxis. A questionnaire, including 7 practical questions has been used. The current International Survey on epistaxis management reported a relevant prevalence (21.7%), mainly during childhood and senescence, an important hospitalization rate (11.8%), the common use of anterior packing and electrocoagulation, and the popular prescription of a vitamin supplement and intranasal creams.

Clinical Practice Guideline: Nosebleed (Epistaxis).

OBJECTIVE: Nosebleed, also known as epistaxis, is a common problem that occurs at some point in at least 60% of people in the United States. While the majority of nosebleeds are limited in severity and duration, about 6% of people who experience nosebleeds will seek medical attention. For the purposes of this guideline, we define the target patient with a nosebleed as a patient with bleeding from the nostril, nasal cavity, or nasopharynx that is sufficient to warrant medical advice or care. This includes bleeding that is severe, persistent, and/or recurrent, as well as bleeding that impacts a patient's quality of life. Interventions for nosebleeds range from self-treatment and home remedies to more intensive procedural interventions in medical offices, emergency departments, hospitals, and operating rooms. Epistaxis has been estimated to account for 0.5% of all emergency department visits and up to one-third of all otolaryngology-related emergency department encounters. Inpatient hospitalization for aggressive treatment of severe nosebleeds has been reported in 0.2% of patients with nosebleeds. PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this multidisciplinary guideline is to identify quality improvement opportunities in the management of nosebleeds and to create clear and actionable recommendations to implement these opportunities in clinical practice. Specific goals of this guideline are to promote best practices, reduce unjustified variations in care of patients with nosebleeds, improve health outcomes, and minimize the potential harms of nosebleeds or interventions to treat nosebleeds. The target patient for the guideline is any individual aged ≥3 years with a nosebleed or history of nosebleed who needs medical treatment or seeks medical advice. The target audience of this guideline is clinicians who evaluate and treat patients with nosebleed. This includes primary care providers such as family medicine physicians, internists, pediatricians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. It also includes specialists such as emergency medicine providers, otolaryngologists, interventional radiologists/neuroradiologists and neurointerventionalists, hematologists, and cardiologists. The setting for this guideline includes any site of evaluation and treatment for a patient with nosebleed, including ambulatory medical sites, the emergency department, the inpatient hospital, and even remote outpatient encounters with phone calls and telemedicine. Outcomes to be considered for patients with nosebleed include control of acute bleeding, prevention of recurrent episodes of nasal bleeding, complications of treatment modalities, and accuracy of diagnostic measures. This guideline addresses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nosebleed. It focuses on nosebleeds that commonly present to clinicians via phone calls, office visits, and emergency room encounters. This guideline discusses first-line treatments such as nasal compression, application of vasoconstrictors, nasal packing, and nasal cautery. It also addresses more complex epistaxis management, which includes the use of endoscopic arterial ligation and interventional radiology procedures. Management options for 2 special groups of patients-patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome and patients taking medications that inhibit coagulation and/or platelet function-are included in this guideline. This guideline is intended to focus on evidence-based quality improvement opportunities judged most important by the guideline development group. It is not intended to be a comprehensive, general guide for managing patients with nosebleed. In this context, the purpose is to define useful actions for clinicians, generalists, and specialists from a variety of disciplines to improve quality of care. Conversely, the statements in this guideline are not intended to limit or restrict care provided by clinicians based on their experience and assessment of individual patients. ACTION STATEMENTS: The guideline development group made recommendations for the following key action statements: (1) At the time of initial contact, the clinician should distinguish the nosebleed patient who requires prompt management from the patient who does not. (2) The clinician should treat active bleeding for patients in need of prompt management with firm sustained compression to the lower third of the nose, with or without the assistance of the patient or caregiver, for 5 minutes or longer. (3a) For patients in whom bleeding precludes identification of a bleeding site despite nasal compression, the clinician should treat ongoing active bleeding with nasal packing. (3b) The clinician should use resorbable packing for patients with a suspected bleeding disorder or for patients who are using anticoagulation or antiplatelet medications. (4) The clinician should educate the patient who undergoes nasal packing about the type of packing placed, timing of and plan for removal of packing (if not resorbable), postprocedure care, and any signs or symptoms that would warrant prompt reassessment. (5) The clinician should document factors that increase the frequency or severity of bleeding for any patient with a nosebleed, including personal or family history of bleeding disorders, use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, or intranasal drug use. (6) The clinician should perform anterior rhinoscopy to identify a source of bleeding after removal of any blood clot (if present) for patients with nosebleeds. (7a) The clinician should perform, or should refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to identify the site of bleeding and guide further management in patients with recurrent nasal bleeding, despite prior treatment with packing or cautery, or with recurrent unilateral nasal bleeding. (8) The clinician should treat patients with an identified site of bleeding with an appropriate intervention, which may include one or more of the following: topical vasoconstrictors, nasal cautery, and moisturizing or lubricating agents. (9) When nasal cautery is chosen for treatment, the clinician should anesthetize the bleeding site and restrict application of cautery only to the active or suspected site(s) of bleeding. (10) The clinician should evaluate, or refer to a clinician who can evaluate, candidacy for surgical arterial ligation or endovascular embolization for patients with persistent or recurrent bleeding not controlled by packing or nasal cauterization. (11) In the absence of life-threatening bleeding, the clinician should initiate first-line treatments prior to transfusion, reversal of anticoagulation, or withdrawal of anticoagulation/antiplatelet medications for patients using these medications. (12) The clinician should assess, or refer to a specialist who can assess, the presence of nasal telangiectasias and/or oral mucosal telangiectasias in patients who have a history of recurrent bilateral nosebleeds or a family history of recurrent nosebleeds to diagnose hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome. (13) The clinician should educate patients with nosebleeds and their caregivers about preventive measures for nosebleeds, home treatment for nosebleeds, and indications to seek additional medical care. (14) The clinician or designee should document the outcome of intervention within 30 days or document transition of care in patients who had a nosebleed treated with nonresorbable packing, surgery, or arterial ligation/embolization. The policy level for the following recommendation, about examination of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx using nasal endoscopy, was an option: (7b) The clinician may perform, or may refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to examine the nasal cavity and nasopharynx in patients with epistaxis that is difficult to control or when there is concern for unrecognized pathology contributing to epistaxis.

Clinical Practice Guideline: Nosebleed (Epistaxis) Executive Summary.

OBJECTIVE: Nosebleed, also known as epistaxis, is a common problem that occurs at some point in at least 60% of people in the United States. While the great majority of nosebleeds are limited in severity and duration, about 6% of people who experience nosebleeds will seek medical attention. For the purposes of this guideline, we define the target patient with a nosebleed as a patient with bleeding from the nostril, nasal cavity, or nasopharynx that is sufficient to warrant medical advice or care. This includes bleeding that is severe, persistent, and/or recurrent, as well as bleeding that impacts a patient's quality of life. Interventions for nosebleeds range from self-treatment and home remedies to more intensive procedural interventions in medical offices, emergency departments, hospitals, and operating rooms. Epistaxis has been estimated to account for 0.5% of all emergency department visits and up to one-third of all otolaryngology-related emergency department encounters. Inpatient hospitalization for aggressive treatment of severe nosebleeds has been reported in 0.2% of patients with nosebleeds. PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this multidisciplinary guideline is to identify quality improvement opportunities in the management of nosebleeds and to create clear and actionable recommendations to implement these opportunities in clinical practice. Specific goals of this guideline are to promote best practices, reduce unjustified variations in care of patients with nosebleeds, improve health outcomes, and minimize the potential harms of nosebleeds or interventions to treat nosebleeds. The target patient for the guideline is any individual aged ≥3 years with a nosebleed or history of nosebleed who needs medical treatment or seeks medical advice. The target audience of this guideline is clinicians who evaluate and treat patients with nosebleed. This includes primary care providers such as family medicine physicians, internists, pediatricians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. It also includes specialists such as emergency medicine providers, otolaryngologists, interventional radiologists/neuroradiologists and neurointerventionalists, hematologists, and cardiologists. The setting for this guideline includes any site of evaluation and treatment for a patient with nosebleed, including ambulatory medical sites, the emergency department, the inpatient hospital, and even remote outpatient encounters with phone calls and telemedicine. Outcomes to be considered for patients with nosebleed include control of acute bleeding, prevention of recurrent episodes of nasal bleeding, complications of treatment modalities, and accuracy of diagnostic measures. This guideline addresses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nosebleed. It will focus on nosebleeds that commonly present to clinicians with phone calls, office visits, and emergency room encounters. This guideline discusses first-line treatments such as nasal compression, application of vasoconstrictors, nasal packing, and nasal cautery. It also addresses more complex epistaxis management, which includes the use of endoscopic arterial ligation and interventional radiology procedures. Management options for 2 special groups of patients, patients with hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome (HHT) and patients taking medications that inhibit coagulation and/or platelet function, are included in this guideline. This guideline is intended to focus on evidence-based quality improvement opportunities judged most important by the working group. It is not intended to be a comprehensive, general guide for managing patients with nosebleed. In this context, the purpose is to define useful actions for clinicians, generalists, and specialists from a variety of disciplines to improve quality of care. Conversely, the statements in this guideline are not intended to limit or restrict care provided by clinicians based upon their experience and assessment of individual patients. ACTION STATEMENTS: The guideline development group made recommendations for the following key action statements: (1) At the time of initial contact, the clinician should distinguish the nosebleed patient who requires prompt management from the patient who does not. (2) The clinician should treat active bleeding for patients in need of prompt management with firm sustained compression to the lower third of the nose, with or without the assistance of the patient or caregiver, for 5 minutes or longer. (3a) For patients in whom bleeding precludes identification of a bleeding site despite nasal compression, the clinician should treat ongoing active bleeding with nasal packing. (3b) The clinician should use resorbable packing for patients with a suspected bleeding disorder or for patients who are using anticoagulation or antiplatelet medications. (4) The clinician should educate the patient who undergoes nasal packing about the type of packing placed, timing of and plan for removal of packing (if not resorbable), postprocedure care, and any signs or symptoms that would warrant prompt reassessment. (5) The clinician should document factors that increase the frequency or severity of bleeding for any patient with a nosebleed, including personal or family history of bleeding disorders, use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, or intranasal drug use. (6) The clinician should perform anterior rhinoscopy to identify a source of bleeding after removal of any blood clot (if present) for patients with nosebleeds. (7a) The clinician should perform, or should refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to identify the site of bleeding and guide further management in patients with recurrent nasal bleeding, despite prior treatment with packing or cautery, or with recurrent unilateral nasal bleeding. (8) The clinician should treat patients with an identified site of bleeding with an appropriate intervention, which may include 1 or more of the following: topical vasoconstrictors, nasal cautery, and moisturizing or lubricating agents. (9) When nasal cautery is chosen for treatment, the clinician should anesthetize the bleeding site and restrict application of cautery only to the active or suspected site(s) of bleeding. (10) The clinician should evaluate, or refer to a clinician who can evaluate, candidacy for surgical arterial ligation or endovascular embolization for patients with persistent or recurrent bleeding not controlled by packing or nasal cauterization. (11) In the absence of life-threatening bleeding, the clinician should initiate first-line treatments prior to transfusion, reversal of anticoagulation, or withdrawal of anticoagulation/antiplatelet medications for patients using these medications. (12) The clinician should assess, or refer to a specialist who can assess, the presence of nasal telangiectasias and/or oral mucosal telangiectasias in patients who have a history of recurrent bilateral nosebleeds or a family history of recurrent nosebleeds to diagnose hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome (HHT). (13) The clinician should educate patients with nosebleeds and their caregivers about preventive measures for nosebleeds, home treatment for nosebleeds, and indications to seek additional medical care. (14) The clinician or designee should document the outcome of intervention within 30 days or document transition of care in patients who had a nosebleed treated with nonresorbable packing, surgery, or arterial ligation/embolization. The policy level for the following recommendation about examination of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx using nasal endoscopy was an option: (7b) The clinician may perform, or may refer to a clinician who can perform, nasal endoscopy to examine the nasal cavity and nasopharynx in patients with epistaxis that is difficult to control or when there is concern for unrecognized pathology contributing to epistaxis.

The influence of standardized dry ivy leaf extract on the proportion of nasal secretion after post-septoplasty nasal packing removal / A influência do extrato de folha de hera seca na secreção nasal após remoção de tampão nasal pós-septoplastia

Abstract Introduction: After post-septoplasty nasal packing removal, a certain proportion of nasal secretion occurs, leading to local and sometimes systemic infections. Objective: The aim was to determine if standardized dry ivy leaf extract application after nasal packing removal influences the reduction of nasal secretion and diminish the occurrence of local infections. Methods: The study included 70 post-septoplasty patients (divided into two equal groups) whose nasal packing was removed on the third day after the procedure. Group I was treated with standardized dry ivy leaf extract syrup along with regular nasal irrigation for the five days after the nasal packing removal whereas the Group II had only nasal lavage. On the sixth day after nasal packing removal, the quantity of nasal secretion was determined using a visual analog scale and nasal endoscopic examination. Results: The group treated with standardized dry ivy leaf extract syrup had significantly lesser nasal secretion both by subjective patients' assessment (p < 0.001) and by nasal endoscopic examination (p = 0.003). The post-surgical follow up examination on the sixth day after nasal packing removal showed no development of local infection in the Group I, while in the Group II a local infection was evident in five patients (14.29%) and antibiotic therapy was required. Conclusion: The use of the standardized dry ivy leaf extract after nasal packing removal significantly lowers the proportion of nasal secretion.

Resumo Introdução: Após a remoção do tampão nasal pós-septoplastia, ocorre produção de secreção nasal, predispondo infecções locais e, por vezes, sistêmicas. Objetivo: O objetivo foi determinar se a aplicação do extrato padronizado de folhas de hera seca após a remoção do tampão nasal influencia a redução da secreção nasal e diminui a ocorrência de infecções locais. Método: O estudo incluiu 70 pacientes pós-septoplastia (divididos em dois grupos iguais) cujo tampão nasal foi retirado no terceiro dia após o procedimento. O grupo I foi tratado com xarope padronizado de extrato de folha seca de hera juntamente com irrigação nasal regular por cinco dias após a remoção do tamponamento nasal, enquanto ao grupo II foi recomendado apenas lavagem nasal. No sexto dia após a remoção do tampão nasal, a quantidade de secreção nasal foi determinada pela escala EVA (escala visual analógica) e pelo exame endoscópico nasal. Resultados: O grupo tratado com xarope de extrato seco de folhas de hera apresentou secreção nasal significativamente menor tanto pela avaliação subjetiva dos pacientes (p < 0,001) quanto pelo exame endoscópico nasal (p = 0,003). O exame de acompanhamento pós-cirúrgico no sexto dia após a remoção do tampão nasal não mostrou desenvolvimento de infecção local nos pacientes do grupo I, enquanto que no grupo II, cinco apresentaram sinais de infecção local (14,29%) com necessidade de antibioticoterapia. Conclusão: O uso do extrato padronizado de folhas secas de hera após a remoção do tampão nasal reduz significativamente a produção de secreção nasal.

Safety of direct oral anticoagulants in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare vascular dysplasia resulting in visceral arteriovenous malformations and smaller mucocutaneous telangiectasia. Most patients experience recurrent nosebleeds and become anemic without iron supplementation. However, thousands may require anticoagulation for conditions such as venous thromboembolism and/or atrial fibrillation. Over decades, tolerance data has been published for almost 200 HHT-affected users of warfarin and heparins, but there are no published data for the newer direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in HHT. METHODS: To provide such data, a retrospective audit was conducted across the eight HHT centres of the European Reference Network for Rare Multisystemic Vascular Diseases (VASCERN), in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK. RESULTS: Although HHT Centres had not specifically recommended the use of DOACs, 32 treatment episodes had been initiated by other clinicians in 28 patients reviewed at the Centres, at median age 65 years (range 30-84). Indications were for atrial fibrillation (16 treatment episodes) and venous thromboembolism (16 episodes). The 32 treatment episodes used Apixaban (n = 15), Rivaroxaban (n = 14), and Dabigatran (n = 3). HHT nosebleeds increased in severity in 24/32 treatment episodes (75%), leading to treatment discontinuation in 11 (34.4%). Treatment discontinuation was required for 4/15 (26.7%) Apixaban episodes and 7/14 (50%) Rivaroxaban episodes. By a 4 point scale of increasing severity, there was a trend for Rivaroxaban to be associated with a greater bleeding risk both including and excluding patients who had used more than one agent (age-adjusted coefficients 0.61 (95% confidence intervals 0.11, 1.20) and 0.74 (95% confidence intervals 0.12, 1.36) respectively. Associations were maintained after adjustment for gender and treatment indication. Extreme hemorrhagic responses, worse than anything experienced previously, with individual nosebleeds lasting hours requiring hospital admissions, blood transfusions and in all cases treatment discontinuation, occurred in 5/14 (35.7%) Rivaroxaban episodes compared to 3/15 (20%) Apixaban episodes and published rates of ~ 5% for warfarin and heparin. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, conventional heparin and warfarin remain first choice anticoagulants in HHT. If newer anticoagulants are considered, although study numbers are small, at this stage Apixaban appears to be associated with lesser bleeding risk than Rivaroxaban.

Efficacy of Direct Acting Oral Anticoagulants in Treatment of Left Ventricular Thrombus.

Direct acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are increasingly used as off-label alternatives to vitamin K antagonists for the treatment of left ventricular (LV) thrombus. However, efficacy data is limited to small case series and one meta-analysis of case reports. We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of DOACs in treatment of LV thrombus utilizing transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and clinical outcomes. We identified 52 patients (mean age = 64 years, 71% men) treated with a DOAC for LV thrombus (n = 26 apixaban, n = 24 rivaroxaban, and n = 2 dabigatran). Thirty-five of the 52 patients had a follow-up TTE after DOAC initiation. The primary end point was defined as resolution of LV thrombus (in patients with a subsequent TTE), or death, major bleeding requiring transfusion, intracranial hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, or peripheral embolization. An experienced echocardiographer (M.L.M.) reviewed all TTEs for presence or absence of LV thrombus without knowledge of time point or clinical data. Twenty-nine of the 35 (83%) patients who underwent follow-up TTE had resolution of LV thrombus, with a mean duration of 264 days. Of the total study population, there was 1 cardioembolic event (transient ischemic attack) 52 days after initiating DOAC, 3 gastrointestinal bleeds requiring transfusion, and 1 patient with epistaxis requiring transfusion. All patients with a hemorrhagic complication were receiving concomitant antiplatelet therapy. DOAC therapy appears promising for the treatment of LV thrombus. A larger, prospective study is warranted to confirm these results.

Improving efficiency in epistaxis transfers in a large health system: Analyzing emergency department treatment variability as pretext for a clinical care pathway.

INTRODUCTION: Epistaxis is a common condition with an estimated $100 million in health care costs annually. A significant portion of this stems from Emergency Department (ED) management and hospital transfers. Currently there is no data in the literature clearly depicting the differences in treatment of epistaxis between Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians and Otolaryngologists. Clinical care pathways (CCP) are a way to standardize care and increase efficiency. Our goal was to evaluate the variability in epistaxis management between EM and Otolaryngology physicians in order to determine the potential impact of a system wide clinical care pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective case study was conducted of all patients transferred between emergency departments for epistaxis over an 18-month period. Exclusion criteria comprised patients under 18 years old, recent sinonasal surgery, bleeding disorders, and recent facial trauma. RESULTS: 73 patients met inclusion criteria. EM physicians used nasal cautery in 8%, absorbable packing in 1% and non-absorbable packing in 92% (with 33% being bilateral). In comparison, Otolaryngologists used nasal cautery in 37%, absorbable packing in 34%, and non-absorbable packing in 23%. Eighty percent of patients treated by an Otolaryngology physician required less invasive intervention than previously performed by EM physicians prior to transfer. CONCLUSIONS: Epistaxis management varied significantly between Emergency Medicine and Otolaryngology physicians. Numerous patients were treated immediately with non-absorbable packing. On post-transfer Otolaryngology evaluation, many of these patients required less invasive interventions. This study highlights the variability of epistaxis treatment within our hospital system and warrants the need for a standardized care pathway.