This study explores the impact of nasal packing versus non-packing interventions on outcomes and complications of epistaxis hospitalization in the elderly.

A total of 8449 cases met the inclusion criteria, with 62.4% receiving only nasal packing and 37.6% receiving non packing interventions. On average, non-packing interventions were associated with a 9.9% increase in the length of stay and a 54.0% increase in hospital charges. Comorbidity rates did not vary between cohorts, except for diabetes mellitus, which was less common in the unpacking cohort. Unpacking interventions were associated with an increased blood transfusion rate but no significant differences in stroke rates, blindness, aspiration pneumonia, infectious pneumonia, thromboembolism, urinary/renal complications, pulmonary complications, and cardiac complications, or in-hospital mortality. After comparing patients receiving ligation or embolization, researchers observed no differences in length of stay, complications, or in-hospital mortality were found; however, embolization patients incurred 232.1% greater hospital charges.

Unpacking interventions in the elderly do not appear to be associated with increased morbidity or mortality when compared to nasal packing only. Still, they seem to be associated with increased hospital charges and length of stay—embolization in the elderly results in more outstanding hospital charges but no change in the outcome than ligation.

Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1945892418801259

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