Hospitalization for epistaxis: a population-based healthcare research study in Thuringia, Germany

PURPOSE: Epistaxis is the most common ENT emergency. The aim was to determine population-based data on severe epistaxis needing inpatient treatment. METHODS: Retrospective population-based cohort study in the federal state Thuringia in 2016 performed on all 840 inpatients treated for epistaxis in otolaryngology departments (60.1% male, median age: 73 years; 63.9% under anticoagulation). The association between patients’ and treatment characteristics and longer inpatient stay (≥ 4 days) as well as readmission for recurrent epistaxis was analyzed using univariable and multivariable statistics. RESULTS: The overall incidence of epistaxis needing inpatient treatment was higher for men (42 per 100,000) than for women (28 per 100,000). The highest incidence was reached for men > 85 years (222 per 100,000). Most important independent predictors for longer inpatient stay were localization of the bleeding not in the anterior nose (OR = 2.045; CI = 1.534–2.726), recurrent bleeding during inpatient treatment (OR = 2.142; CI = 1.508–3.042), no electrocoagulation (OR = 2.810; CI = 2.047–3.858), and blood transfusion (OR = 2.731; CI = 1.324–5.635). Independent predictors for later readmission because of recurrent epistaxis were male gender (OR = 1.756; CI = 1.155–2.668), oral anticoagulant use (OR = 1.731; CI = 1.046–2.865), and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (OR = 13.216; CI 5.102–34.231). CONCLUSIONS: Inpatient treatment of epistaxis seems to be variable in daily routine needing standardization by clinical guidelines and strategies to shorten inpatient treatment and to reduce the risk of readmission. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00405-020-05875-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.