Subjective and objective nasal obstruction assessment in children with chronic rhinitis

The present study was undertaken, to test the hypothesis that schoolchildren on long-term treatment for chronic rhinitis under-report their nasal congestion. Ninety-seven children aged 8.3–15.5 years (median 12.7) with non-purulent perennial rhinitis, for 1.4–8.5 years (median 2.8) self-graded their nasal blockage as “severe” (group-A), “moderate” (group-B), “mild” (group-C) or “absent” (group-D). An additional 48 normal children served as controls (group-E). Subsequently active anterior rhinomanometry for total nasal airway resistance (TNAR) measurement and decongestion test (>20% TNAR fall) were employed as objective means of nasal congestion. Mean pre-decongestion TNAR values did not show any significant difference between the group-A, -B and -C; significant differences were observed between group-A and -D ( p = 0.04) and between all groups as compared to -E. Positive decongestion test was detected in 57.1%, 53.8%, 48.3%, 32.3% and 10.4% of children in group-A, -B, -C, -D and -E, respectively (group-A, -B, -C versus -E p < 0.001, group-D versus -E p = 0.03). Schoolchildren on long-term treatment for perennial rhinitis frequently under-report their symptom of nasal stuffiness.