title: Research for bleeding tendency in patients presenting with significant epistaxis.
abstract: To evaluate the association of inherited coagulopathies and acquired conditions (e.g. hypertension, aspirin use) with emergency department admission due to epistaxis. Patients admitted to the emergency department with epistaxis were included. A questionnaire for personal and family history of any bleeding disorder was used. Physical examination including ear, nose and throat examination was performed. Platelet counts, International Normalized Ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, factors VIII, IX and XI, von Willebrand factor and ristocetin cofactor activity levels were determined. Nineteen patients were included in the study. Personal history of mucocutaneous bleeding was present in four cases and family history in two cases. Only one case (5%) had a decreased von Willebrand factor level (45%), and also had a personal and family history of bleeding tendency. Ten patients (53%) had a history of aspirin use. Thirteen (68%) patients had hypertensive values on admission. Aspirin use and hypertension were the leading causes of emergency service admission in adults due to epistaxis in this study, although the number of the patients was relatively low. Regarding the low prevalence of inherited coagulopathies, detailed coagulation tests should be reserved for adult patients with positive personal and/or family history of bleeding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hacetepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. omerdiz@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dizdar
authors.forename: Ibrahim Koral
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Onal
authors.forename: Engin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozakin
authors.forename: Evvah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karakiliç
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karadag
authors.forename: Umut
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kalyoncu
authors.forename: Figen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coşkun
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Buyukasik
mesh_terms: D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D025861:Blood Coagulation Disorders, Inherited / Q000175:diagnosis; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001241:Aspirin