Teacher's awareness regarding epistaxis first-aid management inside schools in Asser Region, Saudi Arabia

Background: Epistaxis is defined as bleeding that originates from the nasal cavity. Considered as one of the most common ENT emergencies, epistaxis is estimated to account for 0.5% of all emergency department visits and up to one-third of all otolaryngology-related emergency department encounters. Nasal bleeding is the most common ENT emergency in the USA. According to the site of bleeding, it can be divided into anterior or posterior. The prevalence of epistaxis was noted to be 35.5% among the children of the participants in a survey conducted in Saudi Arabia in 2019. A cross-sectional study done in Saudi Arabia found that 27% of the participants experienced nasal bleeding. However, the Saudi population's knowledge about emergency epistaxis management is inadequate. Increased awareness and education about first aid management of epistaxis can improve knowledge and recall among the general population. On the other hand, a study conducted in 2020 showed good knowledge among the Saudi Arabian population about epistaxis management. In most of the cases, epistaxis occurs in an out-of-the-hospital setting. Thus, it is very important for the general population to understand and know some first aid measures for epistaxis. Objective: To assess the level of awareness regarding epistaxis first aid management at schools in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 75.9% of the teachers in this study correctly reported that they would apply nasal compression in case of a nosebleed. When asked how they would try to stop the bleeding, 58.1% reported that they would keep the head tilted forward and 55.8% stated that they could put ice on the head or nose. Overall, 53.7% knew that they should go to the emergency in case the nosebleed continued for more than 10 min. Only 49.5% reported that they would block the nose with tissue or gauze, and 11.9% knew the compression time to be 6-10 min. A total of 61(15.5%) teachers in this study had good awareness regarding the first aid of epistaxis, while 333 (84.5%) had poor awareness levels. Conclusion: Nearly two thirds of the teachers were knowledgeable regarding epistaxis and its management, despite the fact that less than half of them had not attended any training or courses in related areas. The lowest awareness was regarding the method and duration of nasal compression. Higher awareness was observed among young male teachers, those teaching scientific subjects, and those who had received information.