A Single-centre, Before-After Study of the Short- and Long-term Efficacy of Narivent® in the Treatment of Nasal Congestion

Abstract

Nasal congestion is a common symptom in allergic and nonallergic rhinitis, rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis. The present study evaluated the clinical effectiveness of Narivent(®), an osmotically-acting medical device with anti oedematous and anti-inflammatory effects, in nasal congestion. A single-centre, prospective study with a pre- post design and consecutive patient enrolment was conducted in an Italian otolaryngology department. Patients with persistent nasal congestion were allocated to treatment groups as follows: group 1 (n = 36) treated for 7 days; group 2 (n = 56) treated for 30 days. In each group, patients received two puffs of Narivent(®) into each nostril twice daily. Symptom severity was assessed subjectively on a 0-10 visual analogue scale, and objectively by the presence/absence of signs and symptoms. Differences in subjective and objective severity measures before and after treatment were compared using Wilcoxon's signed rank test. All symptoms and objective scores improved after treatment with Narivent(®) for 7 or 30 days and no adverse effects were reported by the patients in either group. Narivent(®) appears to be efficacious in treating nasal congestion over a 7- or a 30-day period.