ANALYSIS OF THE INTRANASAL DISTRIBUTION OF OINTMENT

Objective: The use of intranasal ointment sniffed into the nasal cavit y is widely recommended as a method to lubricate the nose and to preve nt drying and crusting of the nasal mucosa and secretions. This therap y is often prescribed to patients with problems with minor episodes of epistaxis, after nasal packing has been removed, and in patients comp laining of excessive dryness or crusting within the nose. Various prep arations have been used for this purpose. At our institution Polyspori n(R) ointment is one of the commonly used preparations. This study eva luated the distribution of Polysporin(R) ointment within the nasal cav ities of subjects with no symptoms related to the nasal cavity. Conclu sions: The results of the study raise doubts about the effectiveness o f this therapy.