Correlation between subjective and objective nasal breathing assessments in examinees with nasal septum deformities

Abstract

Background/Aim. Nasal obstruction is one of the most frequent disorders because of which patients see their Ear, Nose and Throath (ENT) doctors. Impaired nose breathing is a subjective symptom and it often does not coincide with clinical nose findings and functional tests of breathing function. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish if there is an accordance between a subjective nose breathing assessment and objective methods (rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry) in assessing nose breathing function in patients with diverse nasal septum deformity degrees, as well as to establish an accordance between these two objective methods. Methods. This study involved the total of 90 examinees divided into three groups. The group I consisted of examinees with nasal septum deformities less than 10?. The group II consisted of examinees with nasal septum deformities ranged from 10? to 15?. The group III involved examinees with nasal septum deformities over 15?. Each examinee had subjectively graded his/her nasal breathing on the side of the nose septum deformity from 0 to 10, and afterwards the whole noses. Rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry were done on the side of the nasal septum deformities and after that on the other side of the nose using the Interacoustics SRE 2000 device. Results. In the groups II and III there was a positive correlation between a subjective nose breathing assessment and rhinomanometric values both on the side of the nasal septum deformities and the nose as a whole, (p < 0.05), and no correlation between these traits in the group I (p > 0.05). In none of the examined groups correlation was found between a subjective nose breathing assessment and rhinometric values, both minimum cross-sectional area (MCA) and volume (VOL), both on the side of the nasal septum deformities and the nose as a whole (p > 0.05). There was no correlation found between rhinomanometric and rhinometric MCA and VOL values in either on the sides of nasal septum deformities or the nose as a whole in any of the examined groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Rhinomanometry significantly correlates with the subjective nose breathing assessment and it can be used as a reliable and objective indicator of nose breathing in everyday clinical practice. Acoustic rhinometry, on the other hand, which does not correlate with a subjective nose breathing assessment could have a greater significance in a scientific sense than in clinical applying.Uvod/Cilj. Nosna opstrukcija je jedna od najcescih tegoba zbog koje se bolesnici javljaju otorinolaringologu. Otezano disanje na nos je subjektivan simptom i cesto se ne poklapa sa klinickim nalazom u nosu i funkcionalnim testovima disajne funkcije. Upravo zbog toga cilj ovoga rada bio je da se utvrdi da li postoji podudarnost izmedju subjektivne procene disanja na nos i objektivnih metoda (rinomanometrije i akusti cke rinometrije) u proceni disajne funkcije nosa kod bolesnika sa razlicitim stepenom deformiteta nosne pregrade, kao i da li postoji podudarnost izmedju ove dve objektivne metode medjusobno. Metode. Istrazivanje je obuhvatilo ukupno 90 ispitanika podeljenih u tri grupe. Grupu I cinili su ispitanici sa deformitetom nosne pregrade manjim od 10?. U grupi II deformitet nosne pregrade iznosio je od 10? do 15?. U grupi III bili su ispitanici sa stepenom deformiteta nosne pregrade vecim od 15?. Svaki ispitanik subjektivno je ocenio svoje disanje na nos na strani deformiteta nosne pregrade, a potom nosu kao celini, ocenom od 0 do 10. Rinomanomet rija i akusticka rinometrija, takodje, radjene su na strani deformiteta nosne pregrade, a potom i na drugoj strani nosa na aparatu Interacoustics SRE 2000. Rezultati. U grupama II i III nadjena je pozitivna korelacija izmedju subjektivne ocene disanja na nos i rinomanometrijskih vrednosti kako na strani deformiteta nosne pregrade, tako i u nosu kao celini, (p < 0,05), dok u grupi I nije nadjena korelacija izmedju ovih obelezja, (p > 0,05). Ni u jednoj grupi ispitanika nije nadjena korelacija izmedju subjektivne ocene disanja na nos i rinometrijskih vrednosti, kako vrednosti minimalnog poprecnog preseka nosa [minimum cross-sectional area (MCA)], tako i vrednosti volumena (VOL) ni na strani deformiteta nosne pregrade, ni u nosu kao celini, (p > 0,05). Nije nadjena povezanost izmedju rinomanometrijskih i rinometrijskih MCA i VOL vrednosti kako na strani deformiteta nosne pregrade, tako i u nosu kao celini, ni u jednoj grupi ispitanika (p > 0,05). Zakljucak. Rinomanometrija u znacajnoj meri korelise sa subjektivnom ocenom disajne funkcije nosa i moze se koristiti kao pouzdani objektivni pokazatelj disajne funkcije nosa u svakodnevnoj klinickoj praksi. Akusticka rinometrija, s druge strane, koja ne korelise sa subjektivnom ocenom disanja na nos, veci znacaj ima u naucnom smislu nego u klinickoj primeni.