Do university students have enough knowledge of epistaxis management? A cross sectional study at Hail region in Saudi Arabia

Objective: Epistaxis is a common condition encountered in primary health clinics and emergency departments. The present study aimed to assess awareness and knowledge of epistaxis management among students at the University of Hail. Methods: This study used a descriptive cross-sectional approach targeting Hail University students from January to June 2022. Questionnaires were used to collect the data from the participants. Results: Of the 824 participants, 62.4% were men and 37.6% were women. Most of the participant 71% had suffered from epistaxis. Majority of participants 28.4% believed that the main cause of epistaxis is fingernail trauma, followed by hypertension 18%, nasal fracture 11.3% and bleeding disorder 7.6%. The source of knowledge about epistaxis for most participants 67.5% was direct experience, followed by mass media 18.6%. Overall, Hail University students showed intermediate levels of knowledge of epistaxis management. Conclusion: Knowledge of epistaxis management among Hail University students was intermediate, with similar levels of knowledge among medical and non-medical students. This suggests the need to implement programs to increase awareness of epistaxis among university students, including medical students.