A randomised clinical trial of antiseptic nasal carrier cream and silver nitrate cautery in the treatment of recurrent anterior epistaxis.
Sixty-four consecutive patients with a history of recurrent epistaxis were randomly assigned in the outpatient clinic to receive treatment with either Naseptin antiseptic nasal carrier cream alone (Group A) or a combination of Naseptin cream and silver nitrate cautery (Group B). Results were available on 50 patients, 22 in Group A and 28 in Group B. Twenty patients (91%) in Group A and 25 patients (89%) in Group B demonstrated improvement in their symptoms. There was no statistically significant difference in outcome between the two treatment arms (P = 0.7569). On comparing the different age groups (under and over 16 years) in the two treatment arms, once again there was no statistically significant difference in the treatment outcome (P = 1.000). In conclusion, silver nitrate cautery offers no added advantage to the management of simple epistaxis in both children and adults.
Murthy
P
P
Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust, Inverness, UK.
Nilssen
E L
EL
Rao
S
S
McClymont
L G
LG
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002425:Cautery / Q000379:methods*; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004655:Emulsions; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009355:Neomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D012835:Silver Nitrate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004655:Emulsions; C070815:Naseptin; D012835:Silver Nitrate; D009355:Neomycin; D002710:Chlorhexidine