Score de sintomas, peak flow nasal e rinometria acústica na rinite alérgica

Objective: To compare symptoms score, nasal inspiratory peak flow (NIPF) and acoustic rhinometry (RAC) in monitoring treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) and to evaluate the existence of a correlation between them. Material and methods: 11 patients with AR were evaluated by symptoms score, NIPF and RAC before and after 1 month of treatment with intranasal steroids. Both evaluations were performed before and after nasal decongestion. We calculated the Congestion Factor (CF) and performed the statistical analysis of the results. Results: From the 11 patients (26.5 ± 4.6 years, 63.6% female), 90.9% showed anatomical changes to anterior rhinoscopy and 63.6% were polisensitized. Although there was an inverse correlation between the symptoms score and RAC (ASTm and volume) and between symptoms score and NIPF, as well as a direct correlation between RAC and NIPF, these were not statistically significant. We observed a linear correlation between FC-ASTm and FC-volume at T0 (p=0.038) and T1 (p=0.005), absent when evaluated statically. Conclusions: The lack of significant correlation between the methods may be due to the complexity of subjective perception of nasal obstruction and the evaluation of different parameters of the obstruction. In clinical practice, symptoms score is a good method for AR evaluation. The size and characteristics of the sample may have conditioned the results.