Epistaxis first-aid: a multi-center knowledge assessment study among medical workers

Tomer Boldes; Nabil Zahalka; Firas Kassem; Benny Nageris; Leigh J Sowerby; Ameen Biadsee

doi:10.1007/s00405-024-08681-2

Epistaxis first-aid: a multi-center knowledge assessment study among medical workers

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2024 May 15. doi: 10.1007/s00405-024-08681-2. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Tomer Boldes^{1

2}, Nabil Zahalka^{1

2}, Firas Kassem^{1

2}, Benny Nageris^{1

2}, Leigh J Sowerby³, Ameen Biadsee^{4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Meir Medical Center, 59 Tchernichovsky St., 4428164, Kfar Saba, Israel.
² Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
³ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
⁴ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Meir Medical Center, 59 Tchernichovsky St., 4428164, Kfar Saba, Israel. Aminbi@clalit.org.il.
⁵ Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Aminbi@clalit.org.il.
⁶ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, ON, Canada. Aminbi@clalit.org.il.

PMID: 38748311
DOI: 10.1007/s00405-024-08681-2

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the knowledge and confidence level regarding the basic first-aid for treating epistaxis among medical staff, including nurses and physicians across various medical disciplines. The study focused three aspects of first aid management: location of digital pressure, head position and duration of pressure.

Methods: The study involved 597 participants, categorized into five groups according to their specialties: emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and community-based healthcare. A paper-based multiple-choice questionnaire assessed knowledge of managing epistaxis. Correct answers were determined from literature review and expert consensus.

Results: Most medical staff showed poor knowledge regarding the preferred site for applying digital pressure in epistaxis management. For head position, pediatricians and internal medicine physicians were most accurate (79.4% and 64.8%, respectively, p < 0.01), and nurses from the emergency department outperformed nurses from other disciplines; internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and community-based healthcare (61.1%, 41.5%, 43.5%, 60%, 45.6%, respectively, p < 0.05). While most medical staff were unfamiliar with the recommended duration for applying pressure on the nose, pediatricians and community clinic physicians were most accurate (47.1% and 46.0%, respectively, p < 0.01), while ER physicians were least accurate (14.9%, p < 0.01). Interestingly, a negative correlation was found between years of work experience and reported confidence level in managing epistaxis.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate a significant lack of knowledge concerning epistaxis first-aid among medical staff, particularly physicians in emergency departments. This finding highlights the pressing need for education and training to enhance healthcare workers' knowledge in managing epistaxis.

Keywords: Epistaxis; First-aid; Health care workers; Health-care workers; Knowledge assessment; Survey study; Urgent care.