B-ENT

Idiopathic epistaxis and meteorological factors: case-control study

1.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mostar University Hospital, 88 000 Mostar, Bijeli brijeg b. b., Bosnia and Herzegovina, Medical School, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

2.

Federal Meteorological Institute, Bardakcije 12, 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

3.

Siroki Brijeg Health Centre, dr. Jure Grubisica 11, 88220 Siroki Brijeg, Bosnia and Herzegovina

4.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital, Vinogradska cesta 29, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

B-ENT 2015; 11: 267-273
Read: 591 Downloads: 504 Published: 03 February 2020

Idiopathic epistaxis and meteorological factors: case-control study. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the occurrence of idiopathic epistaxis and daily values of air pressure, temperature, and humidity. We also investigated whether biometeorological forecasts should be addressed to persons with a history of nosebleed diathesis.

Methods: We analyzed consecutive idiopathic epistaxis events over a 3-year period. Patients were included if they had been in the municipality of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina at least 24 hours before the epistaxis occurrence. The monthly variation in epistaxis events was determined. Epistaxis days (Days “0”, 0=day with epistaxis occurrence) and selected nonepistaxis days (Days “−1”, −1=each first single day without epistaxis prior to Day 0) were compared according to daily values of mean, minimum, and maximum temperature; diurnal temperature range; minimum and maximum atmospheric pressure; diurnal pressure range; and mean relative humidity.

Results: The greatest and smallest percentage of epistaxis events occurred in the months of March and August, respectively. There were no significant differences between Days 0 and Days −1 with respect to the examined meteorological factors.

Conclusion: In this region with a Mediterranean climate, we found a seasonal variation with an incidence peak during the spring transition months, but we did not identify any meteorological trigger factors for epistaxis. Thus, there is no need for biometeorological forecasts to be addressed to persons with a history of nosebleed diathesis.

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EISSN 2684-4907