Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T17:08:53.219Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The use of balloon catheters in the treatement of epistaxis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

Abstract

Inflatable balloon catheters are widely used in the treatment of severe epistaxis and are designed to be filled either with air or liquid. A postal survery revealed that 87 per cent of respondents used an inflantant which was deemed inappropriate by the manufacaturer. When ballons designed for water or saline were filled with air, they defalted rapidly, in some cases beings virtually empty after 24 hours. Better and more accessible instruction leaflets are required if the balloons are to be used as intended.

Foley catheters are frwquently used as nasopharyngeal packs, in conjunction with anterior nasal packs. Paraffin in the commonly used anterior packs damages the rubber of the catheter, resulting in the balolon bursting. This should be recognized by clinicans as a possible cause of rebleeding.

Keywords

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beck, A. L. (1917) An inflatable rubber bag for intranasal use. American Journal of Surgery 31: 7779.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bell, M., Hawk, M., Jahan, A. (1974) New device for the management of post-nasal epistaxis by balloon tamponade. Archives of Otolaryngology 99: 372374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, P. R., Renner, G., Williams, F. (1985) A comparison of nasal balloons and posterior gauze for posterior epistaxis. Ear Nose and Throat Journal 64: 7882.Google ScholarPubMed
Elwany, S., Kamel, T., Mekhamer, A. (1986) Pneumatic nasal catheters: advantages and drawbacks. Journal of Laryngology and Otology 100: 641647.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gray, L. (1958) A simple method of controlling nasal haemorrhage. The Journal of the Indiana State Medical Association 51: 70.Google Scholar
Larsen, K., Juul, A. (1982) Arterial blood gases and pneumatic nasal packing in epistaxis. Laryngoscope 92: 586588.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stell, P. M. (1977) Epistaxis. Clinical Otolaryngolgy 2: 263273.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stevens, R. W. (1936) Improved intranasal packing. A rubber pneumsyiv pack. Archives of Otolaryngology 23: 232235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, J. A., Blair, P. A. (1986) The non-surgical management of adult epistaxis. Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society Cleveland Street, 138[9] 1317Google ScholarPubMed