Nasal Mupirocin fails to Prevent Symptom Recurrence After Sinus Surgery for Nasal Polyps: Study

The following were the key findings of the study:

• Among 60 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, 91.6% were positive for nostril Staphylococcus aureus.
• Comparing the average of the diagnostic radiological and endoscopic scores with the follow-up values in both groups indicated a significant improvement after surgery.
• There was no significant difference in the radiological and endoscopic score improvements between the study and control groups.

The findings revealed that administering mupirocin ointment twice daily in the nostrils of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) does not significantly impact surgical outcomes following endoscopic nasal surgery. The researchers suggest that the use of mupirocin in these patients should be approached cautiously due to the potential for promoting the growth of gram-negative pathogenic bacteria.

The authors recommend conducting further studies with larger sample sizes to compare mupirocin with other topical antibiotics in preventing relapse in CRSwNP patients. Additionally, they propose evaluating the effects of combining mupirocin with other effective antibiotics targeting gram-negative bacteria.

"Future research should also explore different administration methods and dosages of mupirocin, comparing short-term, medium-term, and long-term results," they concluded.

Reference:

Mohebbi AR, Mohsenian M, Elahi M, Minaeian S. Mupirocin Ointment Effect on Polyposis. Recurrence After Sinus Surgery. Iran J Otorhinolaryngol. 2024:36(5):573-580. Doi: 10.22038/ijorl.2024.70685.3405