Daily hypertonic saline nasal irrigation improves sinus-related quality of life, decreases symptoms, and decreases medication use in patients with frequent sinusitis. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Efficacy of daily hypertonic saline nasal irrigation among patients with sinusitis: a randomized controlled trial.
J Fam Pract. 2002 Dec;51(12):1049-55. PMID: 12540331
Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53715, USA. [email protected]
OBJECTIVES: To test whether daily hypertonic saline nasal irrigation improves sinus symptoms and quality of life and decreases medication use in adult subjects with a history of sinusitis. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. Experimental subjects used nasal irrigation daily for 6 months. POPULATION: Seventy-six subjects from primary care (n=70) and otolaryngology (n=6) clinics with histories of frequent sinusitis were randomized to experimental (n=52) and control (n=24) groups. OUTCOMES MEASURED: Primary outcome measures included the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form (SF-12), the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI), and a Single-Item Sinus-Symptom Severity Assessment (SIA); all 3 were completed at baseline, 1.5, 3, and 6 months. Secondary outcomes included daily assessment of compliance and biweekly assessment of symptoms and medication use. At 6 months, subjects reported on side effects, satisfaction with nasal irrigation, and the percentage of change in their sinus-related quality of life. RESULTS: No significant baseline differences existed between the 2 groups. Sixty-nine subjects (90.8%) completed the study. Compliance averaged 87%. Experimental group RSDI scores improved from 58.4 -/+ 2.0 to 72.8 -/+ 2.2 (P