ALLERGIC RHINITIS HISTORY AS A PREDICTOR OF OTHER FUTURE DISQUALIFYING OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGICAL DEFECTS

Background: Problems with the otorhinolaryngological system represent the largest category of pilot referrals for specialist assessment and possible waiver recommendation in the U.S. Navy. Most of these referra ls deal with allergic rhinitis (AR). Approximately 3% of ail Naval air crew have a waiver for AR. This paper tests the hypothesis that the id entification of a history of AR is a predictor for the development of future disqualifying otorhinolaryngological tear, nose, and throat, or ENT) diseases such as chronic sinusitis, alternobaric disease, conduc tive hearing loss, or the need for various surgical procedures (i.e., Caldwell Luc antrostomy, myringotomy, polypectomy, mastoidectomy, and functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Methods: The U.S. Navy Aviation M edical Data Retrieval System (AMDRS) was searched for aircrew who were diagnosed only with AR in 1988. These aircrew were matched with a con trol group from the 1988 database who had no diagnoses of AR or any of the other disqualifying ENT diseases. The AR cohort and controls had their physical examinations up to 1995 assessed to see ii any of the d isqualifying ENT conditions had developed. Results: There was a statis tically significant increase in the number of identifiable chronic sin usitis cases but there was no significant relationship between an AR h istory and the development of any of the other ENT disease categories. Conclusion: Based on the study findings, it is doubtful that uncompli cated AR as an isolated historical diagnosis should be disqualifying f or either candidate or designated aircrew.