Clinical Profile of Epistaxis in Sokoto: A 12-Year Analysis

Epistaxis is bleeding from the Nose and Paranasal sinuses and could be a life threatening emergency requiring urgent attention. The aim is to determine the aetiological factors and highlight treatment modalities in a tertiary hospital in Northwestern Nigeria. This was a 12-year retrospective study of all patients managed with epistaxis between January 2000 and December 2011in the otorhinolaryngology department of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto. Ninety-five patients were reviewed, out of which 61 [64%] were males and 34 [36%] were females. Age group 20-29 years had the highest prevalence [21.1%]. The commonest aetiology was hypertension in 24.2% of patients followed by idiopathic 21.1%, rhinosinusitis 20%, trauma 14.7%. Anterior nasal packing was the most common method of treatment [49.5%]. Epistaxis is a common Otorhinolaryngological condition. Hypertension was the commonest cause in this study, with most cases seen in patients’ aged 20 – 29years.