Objective: Epistaxis, which is a common otorhinolaryngologic emergency, is not a disease itself but an important nose symptom. It affects 60% of the population at any given life stage. However, only 6% seek medical attention. This study aims to investigate the daily and monthly variations and frequency of epistaxis and to determine the relationship between bleeding foci and comorbidities.
Materials and Methods: The study involves examining the retrospective records of patients who presented with epistaxis to Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Medical Faculty’s Otorhinolaryngological Unit. Parameters evaluated include age, sex, bleeding time, comorbidities, arterial blood pressure, bleeding site, and month of presentation. The bleeding occurrence time was categorized as morning (06: 01–12: 00), afternoon (12: 01–18: 00), evening (18: 01–00: 00), and night (00: 01–06: 00).
Results: Seven hundred and thirty-five patients presented with epistaxis during March 2015–December 2019. One hundred and fourteen patients (19.6%) experienced epistaxis in the morning, 60 (8.2%) in the afternoon, 408 (55.5%) in the evening, and 123 (16.7%) in the night. Epistaxis was more common in the morning and evening in hypertensive patients and in the evening in other comorbidities (p=0.005). Bleeding rate was higher in the evening in all months (p=0.002). Increased epistaxis frequency in winter was statistically significant (p=0.027). Posterior epistaxis cases were the elderly, hypertensive, and having increased comorbidities (p>0.001).
Conclusion: In general, bleeding cases were high in winter and in the evening. Comorbidities were found to be among the provocative factors for epistaxis, especially of posterior origin. This shows that circadian rhythm is effective in epistaxis.