Use of naso-pulmonary flow-volume loops to assess nasal obstruction
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A validation study of the role of naso-pulmonary flow-volume loops in the evaluation and characterization of nasal obstruction: The Noninvasive Assessment and Symptomatic Improvement of the Obstructed Nose (NASION) study.
IRAS ID
97893
Contact name
Reza Nouraei
Contact email
Research summary
Nasal obstruction is the commonest nasal symptom and affects as many as one in five individuals. It reduces a patient’s quality of life and is a risk-factor for obstructive sleep apnoea, which in turn is a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality.
Despite the fact that over 30,000 nasal surgeries at a cost of over £50m are performed per year to treat this condition in the UK alone, there are no simple ways of assessing the nature and severity of nasal obstruction, and outcome of surgery. This leads to a large number of unnecessary and ineffective surgeries being performed per year.
The aim of this study is to assess and validate the utility of flow-volume loops, which are a non-invasive physiological method of assessing airway obstruction, as a method of establishing the presence of nasal obstruction and to help in the selection of the most appropriate treatment for the patient.
REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/0426
Date of REC Opinion
20 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion