Nasopharyngeal Airspace Temperature During Rhinothermy

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Virology
• Therapeutic Technologies

Background:

• Respiratory viruses like influenza and rhinoviruses are sensitive to temperature.
• Rhinothermy delivers heated, humidified air to airways, potentially inhibiting viral replication and reducing illness severity.
• The precise effect of rhinothermy on nasopharyngeal temperature remains uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of rhinothermy (41°C humidified air) on nasopharyngeal air space temperature.
• To determine if rhinothermy achieves a target temperature within 1.5°C of the set point during nasal breathing.

Main Methods:

• A single-center, non-blinded, non-randomized study involving 12 participants.
• Continuous measurement of nasopharyngeal air space temperature during rhinothermy (41°C, 30-35 L/min) and sham rhinothermy (31°C, 10 L/min).
• Comparison of temperature changes during nose and mouth breathing for both interventions.

Main Results:

• The mean nasopharyngeal temperature during rhinothermy at 41°C was 37.9°C (SD 1.22°C).
• The mean nasopharyngeal temperature during sham rhinothermy at 31°C was 36.8°C (SD 0.18°C).
• No significant difference in nasopharyngeal temperature was observed between nose and mouth breathing for combined interventions (P = .60).

Conclusions:

• Rhinothermy at 41°C did not achieve a mean nasopharyngeal air space temperature within 1.5°C of the set point.
• Higher rhinothermy device temperatures may be necessary to reach target nasopharyngeal temperatures for treating temperature-sensitive respiratory viruses.
• Further research is needed to optimize rhinothermy settings for therapeutic efficacy.