Epistaxis and Clinic Blood Pressure Values: Is There a Relationship?

Introduction: Epistaxis is the most common otorhinolaryngological emergency and historically there have been an important debate whether there is a cause-effect relationship with high blood pressure.

Aim: This retrospective study explored whether hypertension is a significant risk factor for epistaxis in Emergency Department (ED) patients and examined associations between blood pressure levels and epistaxis episodes.

Materials And Methods: Two groups were studied: Group A (patients with epistaxis) and Group B (control).

Ocular fundus photography with a smartphone device in acute hypertension.

Background: The ocular fundus examination is infrequently and poorly performed in the emergency department (ED) clinical settings, placing patients at risk for missed diagnosis of hypertensive emergencies. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of the ocular fundus photography with a smartphone small optical device in an ED setting and to compare it with a traditional ocular fundus examination.

Methods: The study included 52 consecutive patients (mean age 69 ± 16 years, 50% women) presenting to a hospital ED with an acute increase in blood pressure (SBP > 180 and/or DBP > 100 mmHg).