Foam nasal packs: a prospective, randomised, patient-controlled study.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Innovation
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Nasal packing is crucial for hemostasis and support after nasal surgery.
• Traditional packing materials can cause discomfort and pain during removal.
• Evaluating newer foam nasal pack efficacy is important for improving patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy and patient-reported outcomes of Spiggle and Merocel foam nasal packs.
• To assess pain, bleeding, crusting, and adhesion formation associated with each pack type.
• To determine if Spiggle packs offer an advantage over Merocel packs in routine nasal surgery.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, randomized, single-blind, paired study involving 20 adult patients.
• Spiggle and Merocel packs were inserted into contralateral nasal cavities post-surgery.
• Pain (visual analogue scale), bleeding, crusting, and adhesion formation were measured.

Main Results:

• Both Spiggle and Merocel packs provided effective postoperative hemostasis with minimal bleeding on removal.
• No significant difference in patient discomfort was noted while packs were in situ.
• Spiggle foam packs resulted in significantly less pain upon removal compared to Merocel packs (p=0.005).

Conclusions:

• Both Spiggle and Merocel foam nasal packs are well-tolerated and effective for postoperative hemostasis.
• Spiggle foam packs demonstrate a significant advantage in reducing pain during pack removal.
• Further investigation may be warranted to confirm Spiggle's superiority, considering potential placement bias in this study.