Prevention of acute respiratory infections and exacerbations of chronic adenoiditis by nasal irrigation with isotonic saline solution

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Introduction. Methods of effective prevention of acute respiratory viral infections and exacerbations of chronic adenoiditis continue to be one of the topical issues of pediatric otorhinolaryngology. Aim. To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of nasal irrigation with isotonic saline solution in children in the prevention of acute respiratory viral infections and exacerbations of chronic adenoiditis. Material and methods. A randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 67 children aged three to fifteen years with a verified diagnosis of chronic adenoiditis. Randomization of patients was carried out by the method of envelopes into 2 groups. In patients of the 1st (main) group (n=33) with chronic adenoiditis, nasal irrigation with isotonic saline solution was performed 2 times a day for 2 months. The patients of the 2nd (control) group (n=34) were not prevented from acute respiratory viral infections using saline solutions. The comparative assessment was carried out on (0‑day) and two months later. Results and discussions. In the studied groups, a statistically significant difference was obtained in terms of «nasal difficulty breathing». In the main group, nasal breathing improved by 35.6 % compared with the control group (p˂0.001), rhinorrhea decreased by 40.4 % relative to the control group (p=0.002), which indicates the restoration of aeration of nasal cavity structures. A comparison of the epipharyngoscopic picture and physical examination before the use of preventive measures in children did not reveal significant differences in the groups, which indicates the similarity of clinical data. At the same time, when examined after 60 days Conclusions. Nasal irrigation with isotonic saline solution 2 times a day, during the season of acute respiratory viral infections, is a reliable method not only to avoid the possibility of contracting this infection, but also to effectively prevent exacerbations of chronic adenoiditis.