Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors for Allergic Rhinitis in Children with Epistaxis.

BACKGROUND

Epistaxis is frequently observed in children with allergic rhinitis. However, few studies have addressed the clinical characteristics and risk factors for allergic rhinitis in children with epistaxis. This study aimed to describe the factors associated with allergic rhinitis in children with epistaxis.

METHODS

In total, we recruited 80 children (aged 3-14 years) who presented with epistaxis at a tertiary hospital between January 2014 and January 2022. The follow-up duration was at least 3 months, and we performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify the risk factors for allergic rhinitis.

RESULTS

Among the 80 children examined, 57 (71.25%) had allergic rhinitis. Epistaxis mainly occurred in autumn in children with allergic rhinitis; in contrast, it mostly occurred in summer in children without it (P = 0.029). Mites are common allergens for allergic rhinitis in children with epistaxis; the univariate analysis revealed significant differences between allergic-rhinitis group and nonallergic-rhinitis group in the number of allergens (P  <  0.001) and total IgE (P  <  0.001). The difference in severity of nasal symptoms between the two groups was statistically significant and included nasal obstruction (P  <  0.001), rhinorrhea (P  <  0.001), sneezing (P  <  0.001), and nasal itching (P  <  0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the severity of rhinorrhea symptoms was found to be associated with an increased risk of allergic rhinitis in children with epistaxis (odds ratio: 3.86; 95% confidence interval: 1.61-9.26; P = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Observing the onset season, number of allergens, total IgE, and nasal symptoms in cases of epistaxis could suggest the presence of associated allergic rhinitis and reduce the number of missed diagnoses; antiallergic drugs could help control epistaxis in these cases.