J. Gosepath et al., Breathe right nasal strips and the respiratory disturbance index in sleep related breathing disorders, AM J RHINOL, 13(5), 1999, pp. 385-389
This investigation assesses the effects of Breathe Right nasal strips on th
e respiratory disturbance index (RDI) measured by polysomnography in patien
ts suffering from obstructive sleep apnea and snaring. The positive effect
of these strips on nasal ventilation was shown in earlier studies. Twenty-s
ix patients with art RDI higher than 10 in an initial measurement underwent
a second preoperative polysomnography with Breathe Right nasal strips in p
lace. Nineteen of these 26 patients showed reduction of RDI during the seco
nd night of polysomnography using the nasal strips, indicating that nasal o
bstruction seems to be a predominant factor in the etiology of snoring and
apnea in these individuals. Demographic data, medical history, rhinoscopy,
clinical assessment of pharyngeal obstruction (Mueller's maneuver), as well
as anterior rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry were used to identify t
ypical findings correlating with a positive effect of the Breathe Right nas
al strips on the RDI: 1. Hyperplasia or hypertrophy of the lower turbinates
, septal deviation, and/or allergic rhinitis. 2. None or only minor pharyng
eal obstruction. 3. Age less than 55 years. if a positive effect is seen du
ring polysomnography with the strips in place, patients will most likely pr
ofit from an improvement of nasal ventilation. This may help to target more
effectively septal or turbinate surgery if applicable. In other cases, ifa
significant RDI reduction is obtained by the use of the nasal strips, they
could also offer a noninvasive modality of treatment, especially since the
high degree of co-morbidity in this group of patients can sometimes make a
surgical approach less favorable.