Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about nosebleeds.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero definals.com slash nosebleeds

or in the E&T section of the Zero to Finals Pediatrics book.

So let's get straight into it.

Nosebleeds are also known as epistaxis. The bleeding originates in Kaisalbach's

Plexus, which is located in Littles area. This is an area of the nasal mucosa at the front of the

nasal cavity that contains a lot of blood vessels.

When the mucosa is disrupted in this area and the blood vessels are exposed,

for example due to trauma from a child picking their nose,

the blood vessels are more prone to bleeding.

A tom tip for you, little's area, the area most affected by Little Fingers, is a popular topic in exams.

Remember the name of this area as examiners like to ask, what's the most likely location of the bleeding with regard to nosebleeds.

So how do nosebleeds present?

Nosebleeds are common in otherwise healthy children.

They can be triggered by nose picking, colds, vigorous nose blowing, trauma and changes in the

weather.

When a child swallows blood during a nosebleed, they may present with vomiting blood. Bleeding is usually unilateral from a single nostril.

Bleeding from both nostrils may indicate bleeding posteriorly in the nose and is more concerning.

So how do we manage nosebleeds? Nosebleeds usually resolve without needing any medical assistance.

Recurrent and significant nosebleeds may require further investigation to look for an underlying cause,

such as thrombocytopinia or clotting disorders.

...