Warmed versus room temperature saline solution for ear irrigation: A randomized clinical trial

Study objective: To lest the hypothesis that ear irrigation with warmed nor mal saline solution is more comfortable and results in fewer side effects t han irrigation with room temperature saline solution in normal volunteers. Methods: The study was a randomized, single-blind, crossover trial in which each subject received 30 mi warmed normal saline solution in 1 ear and 30 mi room temperature saline solution in the opposite ear. The solutions (war med versus room temperature) and the order of irrigation (right versus left ear) were separately randomized. Investigators obtaining scores were blind ed to solution temperature. Subjects rated the discomfort of irrigation, us ing separate visual analog scales, from 0 (no pain) to 100 mm (worst pain e ver). Results: Forty volunteers were enrolled in the study. The mean difference i n visual analog scale scores favoring warmed over room temperature saline s olution was 26 mm (95% confidence interval [CI], 19 to 33 mm; P<.0001). Twe nty percent more patients reported dizziness with room temperature irrigati on (95% CI, 6% to 34%). There was no gender effect or order effect for the 2 solutions. Conclusion: Warmed normal saline solution was both clinically and statistic ally more comfortable than room temperature saline solution as an ear irrig ant in normal volunteers. Significantly less dizziness was reported with th e warmed solution.