Comparison between different techniques for measuring nasal patency in a group of unselected patients

Many techniques for measuring nasal patency have been developed in search for a reliable, easily performed and reproducible method. Rhinomanometry is easily performed in the clinic but daily records of nasal blocking cannot be obtained. In this study we examined the correlation between posterior rhinomanometry (PR), nasal peak flow (nPF), the ratio nasal patency index (NPI), and the opening interrupter method (Rtn) for measuring nasal patency. Twenty-eight subjects with no symptoms of rhinitis and 20 patients with diagnosed rhinitis were investigated. A significant (p less than 0.05) correlation was found between PR and nPF after stratification according to the diagnosis of rhinitis and between nPF, PR, and height. All other correlations tested proved non-significant. We conclude that PR is the method which ought to be used in the hospital, but nPF is an easy way to measure nasal patency and might even be used by the patient at home.