Barrier Protection Measures for the Management of Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background Pharmacotherapy for allergic rhinitis (AR) still remains unsatisfying regarding its effect and safety. Barrier protection measures may be a good choice for the patients with AR. Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of barrier protection measures in the treatment of AR. Methods We selected relevant randomized controlled trials published between January 1, 1990, and February 20, 2019, by searching Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Knowledge, and ClinicalTrials.gov. The primary outcome for this analysis was rhinitis symptom scores, overall quality of life, nasal peak inspiratory flow (NPIF), and adverse events. Differences were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for continuous outcomes. Statistical heterogeneity across trials was assessed with the statistic (P