Correlation between Rhinomanometry and NOSE Scale and Measurement of Therapeutic Success in Nasal Obstruction

Abstract

Objectives: Active anterior rhinomanometry (AAR) and the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale are instruments for measuring nasal obstruction (NO). The study aimed to measure therapeutic success in the patients with NO by AAR and NOSE scale and establish the correlation between AAR and NOSE scale and between NOSE scale and visual analogue scale (VAS). Methods: Cohort study of patients with NO, on whom we performed an AAR, the NOSE scale, and the VAS at baseline and after medical treatment (topical nasal steroid) or surgery (septoplasty, turbinoplasty, or septoplasty and turbinoplasty). The nasal flows obtained by the AAR and the score of both subjective scales (NOSE and VAS) were compared and analyzed. Results: A total of 102 patients were included in the study. Surgical treatment resulted in statistically significant differences with AAR and the subjective scales ( P = .0001). In patients with medical treatment there was an increase in the AAR nasal flow but without statistical significance ( P = .1363). The correlation between the AAR, the NOSE scale, and VAS was measured, removing the effect of the intervention, finding only a strong correlation between the NOSE scale and VAS ( r = .83327). Conclusions: There is a higher treatment success in patients treated surgically. There is no significant correlation between AAR and NOSE scale and VAS. This is considered because the AAR and subjective scales are complementary and they measure different aspects of NO. Therefore, the AAR and the NOSE scale are helpful instruments to be used together for the diagnosis of NO and to measure objective therapeutic success and the feeling of satisfaction by the patient.