The Symptom Improvement of Adjunctive Hypochlorous Acid Nasal Cavity Irrigation in Post-Surgically Intractable Chronic Sinusitis / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Low concentration hypochlorous acid is known for being an endogenous anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent. Saline irrigation has been used as an adjunctive treatment for patients with chronic sinusitis. In this study, we tried to compare the effectiveness of hypochlorous acid and saline nasal irrigation to patients with intractable sinusitis after surgery. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A total of 35 patients who had a frequent relapse of chronic sinusitis or had persisting symptoms post-surgically were recruited. The experimental group was given hypochlorous acid and saline nasal irrigation, while the control group was given saline nasal irrigation for eight weeks. The curative effects were assessed on the basis of the symptom score, nasal endoscopic score, bacterial culture, and inflammatory cytokines on the first day, fourth week, and eighth week after treatment. RESULTS: A total of 26 participants were assessed. The study finally consisted of 15 patients in experimental group and 11 in the control group. The symptom scores in the experimental group were substantially lower before, and after four and eight weeks of treatment. However, there was no specific difference in symptom score improvement between the two groups. The endoscopic score improved in experimental group (p<0.01). Similar tendencies were shown in the bacterial culture test of both groups. In the experimental group, the values of TNF-alpha, IL-8, and IL-1beta decreased in the fourth week, whereas they increased in the eighth week. CONCLUSION: Hypochlorous acid nasal irrigation may be to used as an alternative adjunctive treatment in addition to saline irrigation.