Epistaxis

Epistaxis is a common problem that affects the whole population. The majority of cases are self-limiting and do not require any medical assessment or treatment. Epistaxis may not resolve with first aid measures, or the episodes may be frequent and thus the patient presents to emergency medicine or their general practitioner. Some patients require assessment and treatment by ENT, either in the outpatients clinic or require an unscheduled (emergency) admission to hospital. We provide an overview of the management of epistaxis in the outpatients clinic and during an unscheduled admission in paediatric and adult patients. We highlight the key considerations in the history and management, and the rare conditions to be aware of that are associated with epistaxis. Medical and surgical management are discussed. We will briefly outline first aid measures that can be performed by the patient and expected management of the patient in the community.