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Epistaxis management at Guy's Hospital, 2009–2011: full audit cycles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2013

A C Hall ,
M Simons ,
G Pilgrim ,
C Theokli ,
D Roberts  and
C Hopkins
A C Hall
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
M Simons
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
G Pilgrim
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
C Theokli
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
D Roberts
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
C Hopkins*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Miss C Hopkins, Department of Otolaryngology, Guy's Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK Fax: 0207 188 2212 E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objective:

To assess management of epistaxis at a tertiary ENT referral hospital against a recently published standard of best practice.

Methods:

Fifty consecutive cases of acute epistaxis that required admission to Guy's Hospital in 2009 were evaluated. Epistaxis education sessions were held to introduce our algorithm of best practice in tandem with an emphasis on emergency department care. Similar retrospective reviews were carried out in both 2010 and 2011 (on groups of 50 patients).

Results and conclusion:

The first audit cycle demonstrated that only 8 per cent of patients underwent a suitable nasal examination in the emergency department prior to transfer, with no documented attempts at nasal cautery. Surgical intervention procedures were performed on only 40 per cent of eligible patients. The audit cycles that followed the introduction of the epistaxis algorithm demonstrated continued improvement in initial evaluation and management of epistaxis. In select patients, sphenopalatine artery ligation can provide timely, definitive management of refractory epistaxis.

Keywords

EpistaxisPrevention & ControlSurgery
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 128 , Issue 1 , January 2014 , pp. 82 - 85
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2013 

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Footnotes

Presented orally at the Clinical Audit and Practice Advisory Group Annual Meeting, 8 September 2011, London, UK.

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