Vol.97 No.8 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 97 No. 8 August 2004
New Method for Effective Instillation of Nasal
Drops in Patients with Olfactory Dysfunction
Junji Miyazaki, Hidetomo Matsushita, Shoichiro Yamada and Akira Inokuchi
(Saga Medical School)
In order to obtain a sufficient effect when instilling steroid nasal drops in patients with olfactory dysfunction, the medication must reach and be deposited into the olfactory cleft. Some head positions, such as head-down-and-backwards position, are recommended to instill drops. These positions are, however, known to be uncomfortable and can lead to poor patient compliance. Moreover, there is no clear evidence showing that nasal drops can be delivered into the olfactory cleft in these positions.
In this study, we reviewed these positions by utilizing a cadaver head and performing a gravitational flow study using colored nasal drops. The results showed that when using these positions, instilled nasal drops did not reach the olfactory cleft except in limited trials. With the above-mentioned negative points in mind, we devised a new head position, on the side, head down, and found it to be both effective and comfortable for delivering nasal drops into the olfactory cleft.
Key words : olfactory dysfunction, steroid instillation, drug compliance, new head position