PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Nosebleed
Categories:
Respiratory Diseases
Place the patient on his side half
lying, head and shoulders raised and apply a cold compress to the
forehead, nose, and to the back of the neck. Press the end of the nose
firmly against the partition between the nostrils, for some minutes. This
presses directly upon the bleeding point, as a rule. Also, when lying in
this position, the blood does not flow into the throat so readily. Raise
the arms above the head, apply cold t
the spine or to the scrotum of men
and breasts of women. Mustard foot baths are good, injection of cold
water, or the injection of hot water, 120 F., into the nostril will often
help: Cold water, Or salt water, can be gently snuffed. Alum solution on a
cloth put in the nostril often helps. A piece of bacon cut to bits and
placed in the nostril often stops it. Vinegar injected into the nostril is
good, or you can use a cloth saturated with vinegar and placed in the
nostril. White oak bark tea, strong, is effective; juice of lemon applied
same way or injected is helpful.
How to plug the nostrils; (front or anterior nares). Do this with narrow
strips of sterilized gauze, by placing the first piece as far back as
possible, then with a narrow pair of forceps pushing in a little at a time
until the nostril is filled. The gauze should be only one-half inch wide.
If the bleeding still continues the posterior opening (nares) should be
plugged. This can be known by seeing the blood flowing down the throat
(pharynx).
How this is done? Pass a soft rubber catheter, along the floor (bottom) of
the nose until its end is seen passing down behind the soft palate into
the throat. Grasp this with a pair of forceps and pull it forward into the
mouth. Tie a stout string to the end of the catheter (about 1-1/2 feet
long) and tie the other end of the string around the centre of a plug of
lint or gauze, 1-1/2 inches long and three-quarters of an inch wide. Then
pull the catheter back through the nostril, very gently. This will pull
the plug into the posterior opening of the nose, and plug it. . Hold this
same end firmly and with a pair of forceps fill the anterior nostril with
strips (1/2 inch wide) of gauze, pushing them back to the posterior plug.
The end of the string in the mouth may be fastened to a tooth or to the
side of the cheek (if long enough) with a piece of adhesive plaster. The
plug should not be left in position more than forty-eight hours, and it
should be thoroughly softened with oil or vaselin before it is removed.
Remove the anterior part first, gently and carefully and then with cocaine
(if necessary) and more oil, the posterior plug is softened and removed by
pulling the end of the string which is in the mouth gently and slowly.