Nonmedicated control substances Show Limited Efficacy in Chronic Sinusitis: Study

Key findings of the study were:

• Upon analysis, they found that the topical nonmedicated control substances were associated with a significant reduction in SNOT-22 scores (mean difference [MD], −8.81).

• They conducted a subgroup analysis of topical therapies, limited to saline irrigation and nasal spray diluents and found that topical diluents were associated with a greater reduction in SNOT-22 scores (MD, −11.45) compared with saline irrigation (MD, −13.60).

• They also found that nonmedicated control substances were associated with a significant reduction in nasal obstruction scores (standardized MD [SMD], −0.42).

• However, they found no significant changes in rhinorrhea scores (SMD, −0.34), postnasal drip scores (SMD, −0.96), facial pain scores (SMD, −0.57), or loss of smell scores (SMD, −0.18).

The authors concluded, " This systematic review and meta-analysis of the use of nonmedicated control substances in randomized clinical trials of chronic rhinosinusitis outcomes suggest that the use of nonmedicated control substances is associated with limited improvements in SNOT-22 and nasal obstruction scores."

They further added, "These findings highlight potential areas of future research directions and the importance of randomized clinical trials to accurately estimate the treatment effect."

For further information:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/article-abstract/2772878