Survey on the Attitude of Italian Otorhinolaryngologists Concerning the Topical Nasal Therapy

OBJECTIVE Nasal topical therapy plays a pivotal role in the management of a wide range of upper airway conditions, including allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and postoperative care in nasal surgeries. The aim is to report a post hoc analysis on a survey on topical nasal therapy that included an extended list of pharmacological and non-pharmacological products to manage several upper respiratory tract diseases. METHODS This survey involved a questionnaire distributed via a web platform that ensured anonymity. Fellows of ORL Italian societies participated in the survey. The panel of experts who developed the Delphi Consensus drafted the questionnaire. RESULTS One hundred eight ORLs participated in the survey. Most of them were from Southern Italy and islands (57.4%). The most common disease topically treated is chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (82.4%), followed by allergic rhinitis (78.3%), non-allergic rhinitis (76.7%), chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (76.5%), chronic adenoiditis (73.4%), and acute rhinosinusitis and adenoiditis (70% and 69.8%, respectively). CONCLUSION This survey demonstrated that a group of Italian ORLs use topical nasal therapy essentially for type 2-mediated and infectious/inflammatory diseases, prefer a pre-dosed nasal spray and irrigation, and prescribe mostly corticosteroids and saline solutions