European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Oct 2010
Routine clotting screen has no role in the management of epistaxis: reiterating the point.
Objective of the study is to investigate the role of clotting screen in adult patients presenting with epistaxis. The study is a prospective case series done in a teaching hospital in the Northeast of Scotland. Prospective data was collected for 100 consecutive patients with epistaxis admitted to the Department of Otolaryngology over 1 year (2006-2007 August). ⋯ Only 7 patients (7/138 = 5%) had an abnormal result. Our data suggests that routine clotting screen check does not alter the epistaxis management in patients with no risk factors or with stable warfarin dosage. Therefore, routine clotting screen in patients with epistaxis without relevant risk factors is not an evidence-based practice.