Consensus criteria for chronic rhinosinusitis disease control: an international Delphi Study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Respiratory Medicine
• Clinical Practice Guidelines

Background:

• Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) disease control is a key metric for assessing patient status.
• Inconsistent criteria for defining CRS control have hindered global standardization.
• This study aimed to establish consensus on essential criteria for CRS disease control assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and develop consensus on essential criteria for assessing chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) disease control.
• To address the inconsistency in current CRS control assessment criteria.
• To provide a foundation for widely accepted CRS control criteria.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a modified Delphi methodology over three rounds.
• A steering committee developed an initial list of 24 potential CRS control criteria.
• Core authors of the EPOS 2020 guidelines participated in the consensus process.

Main Results:

• Thirty-two participants completed all three rounds of the study.
• Consensus was achieved on essential criteria: overall symptom severity, need for systemic corticosteroids, nasal obstruction severity, and patient-reported control.
• Near-consensus was reached on nasal endoscopy, smell loss, quality of life, activity impairment, and nasal discharge severity.

Conclusions:

• Essential criteria for CRS disease control include symptom severity, corticosteroid use, nasal obstruction, and patient-reported outcomes.
• Near-consensus items should be considered with their inherent caveats.
• These criteria provide a basis for developing universally accepted standards for CRS control assessment.