C Pepper1, S Lo, A Toma. 1. ENT Department, St George's Hospital, London, UK. drpepper@doctors.org.uk
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is wide variation in UK prescribing practice regarding prophylactic antibiotics for nasal packing in spontaneous epistaxis. There are few published cases of infective complications in such patients. METHOD: This prospective study examined 149 consecutive patients admitted to a tertiary otorhinolaryngology centre with spontaneous epistaxis, who underwent nasal packing, over a six-month period. In the first three-month period, 78 patients were routinely prescribed prophylactic antibiotics; in the second three months, 71 patients were not routinely prescribed antibiotics. Exclusion criteria included antibiotics prescribed for unrelated pathology and post-operative epistaxis. Signs and symptoms of acute otitis media, sinusitis and toxic shock syndrome were assessed using clinical examination and a questionnaire. RESULTS: Fourteen of the 149 patients experienced otalgia, most commonly following posterior nasal packing. No patient in either group had evidence of any infective complication. CONCLUSION: We do not recommend the routine prescription of prophylactic antibiotics for patients undergoing nasal packing for spontaneous epistaxis.
BACKGROUND: There is wide variation in UK prescribing practice regarding prophylactic antibiotics for nasal packing in spontaneous epistaxis. There are few published cases of infective complications in such patients. METHOD: This prospective study examined 149 consecutive patients admitted to a tertiary otorhinolaryngology centre with spontaneous epistaxis, who underwent nasal packing, over a six-month period. In the first three-month period, 78 patients were routinely prescribed prophylactic antibiotics; in the second three months, 71 patients were not routinely prescribed antibiotics. Exclusion criteria included antibiotics prescribed for unrelated pathology and post-operative epistaxis. Signs and symptoms of acute otitis media, sinusitis and toxic shock syndrome were assessed using clinical examination and a questionnaire. RESULTS: Fourteen of the 149 patients experienced otalgia, most commonly following posterior nasal packing. No patient in either group had evidence of any infective complication. CONCLUSION: We do not recommend the routine prescription of prophylactic antibiotics for patients undergoing nasal packing for spontaneous epistaxis.