YOU ARE NOW CONNECTED TO THE TOXLINE (1981 FORWARD, NON-ROYALTY) FILE. ==NOSE BLEEDS AND HYPERTENSION== 6 AUTHOR Stopa R AUTHOR Schonweiler R TITLE [Causes of epistaxis in relation to season and weather status] SOURCE HNO; VOL 37, ISS 5, 1989, P198-202 ABSTRACT A retrospective study of the epidemiology and aetiology of epistaxis and its relation to the weather is presented. A total of 230 patients presenting in 1986 were studied. Age above 60, hypertension and upper airway infection were shown to be promoting factors, but serious pathology was unusual. Epistaxis most often occurs between September and March, and during these months we found periods of several days with more than 4 patients in 2 days. At least 2 days before and during those periods there were impressive changes of atmospheric pressure and humidity, whereas temperature and wind speed had less influence. 7 AUTHOR Di Tullio M AUTHOR Alli C AUTHOR Avanzini F AUTHOR Bettelli G AUTHOR Colombo F AUTHOR Devoto MA AUTHOR Marchioli R AUTHOR Mariotti G AUTHOR Radice M AUTHOR Taioli E AUTHOR et al TITLE Prevalence of symptoms generally attributed to hypertension or its treatment: study on blood pressure in elderly outpatients (SPAA). SOURCE J Hypertens Suppl; VOL 6, ISS 1, 1988, PS87-90 ABSTRACT A number of symptoms that appear to be associated with high blood pressure (headache, dizziness, epistaxis, tinnitus, weakness, drowsiness), and are usually regarded as secondary to hypertension or to antihypertensive drug therapy, were studied in 3858 elderly patients, 67.8% of whom were hypertensive. Of the hypertensive patients, 71.2% were under treatment. Headaches and dizziness were significantly more prevalent in the hypertensive than in the normotensive subjects (32.5 versus 27.4% and 41.5 versus 35.3%, respectively; P less than 0.05) and in treated compared with untreated hypertensives (33.3 versus 29.4% and 43.3 versus 37.1%; P less than 0.05). These differences disappeared after statistical correction for 'awareness of hypertension'. In multiple logistic analysis, female sex, age and awareness of hypertension were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of symptoms, whereas hypertension and antihypertensive treatment were not. We conclude that the presence of these symptoms does not constitute a reliable criterion for starting antihypertensive treatment or judging its efficacy. 8 AUTHOR Jackson KR AUTHOR Jackson RT TITLE Factors associated with active, refractory epistaxis. SOURCE Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg; VOL 114, ISS 8, 1988, P862-5 ABSTRACT This study addresses the underlying causes responsible for the severity and persistence of active, refractory epistaxis. Seventy-five patients referred because of treatment failure by primary care physicians showed hypertension and aspirin and alcohol abuse to be major factors in the refractory nature of their epistaxis. The majority of bleeding was located near the posterior floor of the nasal cavity and just posterior to Kiesselbach's plexus and was only associated with septal deviation, spurring, or mucosal abnormalities in 16 of the 75 patients. Seventeen of 67 outpatients required hospitalization. Standard laboratory tests were often inadequate determinants of etiology. Intractable epistaxis should be a signal for a thorough investigation of factors that influence clotting.