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Because alcohol has a number of effects that interfere with hemostasis, it could be expected to cause an increase in bleeding problems. This Scottish study demonstrates a correlation.
Investigators prospectively identified 140 consecutive patients at one hospital, emergently admitted with epistaxis, and compared them with 113 age- and sex-matched controls admitted for other conditions of the ear, nose, or throat. Alcohol consumption was quantified by questionnaire within a day after admission.
The two groups had the same proportion of nondrinkers (34 vs. 35 percent), but the proportion of regular drinkers (i.e., more than once a week) was higher in the epistaxis group (45 vs. 30 percent). The epistaxis group also had a higher mean alcohol int…