Severe Epistaxis

The purpose of this presentation is to record the incidence, causes, and treatments of severe epistaxis that required institutional treatment during the past 10 years. There were 1,404 cases including 852 males and 552 females.* Seasonal Variation The highest incidence of epistaxis occurred in January, February, and March and the lowest during the summer and early in autumn. Rosenvold and Miller1attributed this seasonal variation to the increase in coagulation time in the winter months and decrease in the summer and fall and not to variation in bleeding time. Schmidt2has shown that capillary strength varies according to the seasons. Prevalence of upper respiratory infection in the late fall and in the winter months and the reduction of the moisture content of the air in overheated homes, stores, and offices in the winter months are contributary factors in the increase of the incidence of epistaxis (Fig. 1). Age,