Pediatric nasal resistance

Abstract

Rhinometry has provided a quantitative and objective means of assessing nasal airway patency. Previous investigators have established normal nasal resistances for adults and newborn infants. Less material and no such normal references are available for the pediatric ages. In this study, nasal airway resistance is assessed by anterior rhinometric technique in 498 children ranging from four to 16 years of age. Collected nasal resistance data are found to vary inversely with age and fall in an almost linear fashion between already established normals of infancy and adulthood. As far as we can determine, pediatric age specific nasal resistance data with calculated standard deviations and 95% confidence levels have not been previously reported. Such data provides initial age specific reference points enabling the rhinologist to more objectively evaluate concerns regarding nasal obstructive problems in children.

Nasal resistance in Japanese elementary schoolchildren: Determination of normal value

“…In previous reports [4,17], nasal resistance was high in young people and decreased with age. Similar findings were obtained for the normal group in our previous study [7] (first grade, 0.41 ± 0.19 Pa/cm 3 /s; second grade, 0.37 ± 0.14 Pa/cm 3 /s; third grade, 0.33 ± 0.15 Pa/cm 3 /s; fourth grade, 0.38 ± 0.36 Pa/ cm 3 /s; fifth grade, 0.34 ± 0.16 Pa/cm 3 /s; sixth grade, 0.30 ± 0.17 Pa/cm 3 /s) and the present study (first grade, 0.44 ± 0.17 Pa/cm 3 /s; second grade, 0.37 ± 0.11 Pa/cm 3 /s; third grade, 0.36 ± 0.23 Pa/cm 3 /s; fourth grade, 0.36 ± 0.14 Pa/cm 3 /s; fifth grade, 0.30 ± 0.08 Pa/cm 3 /s; sixth grade, 0.29 ± 0.11 Pa/ cm 3 /s) (Table IV).…”

“…In adults, nasal resistance exceeding 0.25 Pa/cm 3 /s is considered abnormal, and that >0.5 Pa/cm 3 /s has been reported to be associated with mouth breathing [3]; therefore, rhinomanometry can be used to evaluate nasal diseases objectively [4,5]. However, in children the effects of nasal disease treatments are mostly evaluated on the basis of the improvement of subjective symptoms and macroscopic observations by otolaryngologists because no consensus regarding normal nasal resistance in children has been reached.…”

Mucociliary function and nasal resistance evaluation before and after adenoidectomy

“…The same author recommends, due to the large standard deviations of nasal resistance values in pathological conditions, to carefully interpret the results of a one time rhinomanometrical measurement. On the other hand, Principato and Wolf [43] found that in childhood nasal resistance values vary inversely with age and fall in an almost linear fashion between already established normals of infancy and adulthood.…”

“…Concerning rhinomanometry [7,11,12,33], although this technique has been widely employed in clinical practice, only a few reports can be found in the literature about children [9,21,27,33,41,43,56]. High nasal resistances have been demonstrated to influence, also in children, the lower airways function [36].…”

Rhino‐sinus involvement in children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

“…Several sites of upper airway obstruction should be considered in children with OSAS. Nasal airway resistance is particularly high in infants and young children and tends to decline towards adolescent years 23,24 Complete or partial nasal obstruction due to congenital anomalies such as choanal atresia, stenosis, and deformities such as nasal septal deviation, and acute or chronic inflammatory conditions as: rhinitis, nasal polyps, and adenoid hypertrophy are well known risks for OSAS in young children.…”