Treatment of Nosebleeds in the Emergency Department With Powder Tranexamic Acid

Nosebleeds are very common, occurring in 60% of the population; in some patients, nosebleeds are a life-threatening emergency. To stop a nosebleed in the emergency department, doctors usually have to burn the nose (called cauterization) or insert pledgets (called nasal packing) into the nose to apply direct pressure to the bleeding site. Nasal packing can cause pain and discomfort at the time it is inserted in the nose and again when it is removed. In rare cases it can cause a range of complications: minor complications include scar bands in the nose, but serious complications of nasal packing have also occurred, including death. Nasal packing can also present risks to doctors, such as the risk of contracting airborne and bloodborne infections, like COVID-19 and HIV.

Tranexamic acid in pill form or given directly into a vein is a medication that is currently used for nosebleeds. This study looks to evaluate if tranexamic acid in powder form sprayed directly in the nose can be used as an alternative to cauterization or nasal packing for the treatment of nosebleeds.