title: Quality of life assessment in nasal airway obstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quality of life (QOL) assessment of patients with nasal obstruction has not been well studied. The objectives of the study were to determine the QOL of patients with nasal obstruction, to identify baseline variables predictive of patients' QOL, and to examine the relationship of QOL scores with patient assessment of nasal obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preliminary, cross-sectional study of a larger, prospective investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty individuals met the criteria for inclusion. Participants were required to have a surgically treatable diagnosis of septal deviation, nasal valve collapse, and/or turbinate hypertrophy. Quality of life assessment was performed using the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index. Demographic data, along with patient assessment of nasal obstruction with a visual analogue scale, were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both instruments demonstrated good inter-item correlation as measured by Cronbach's alpha. Demographic variables, previous nasal surgeries, and comorbid conditions were not significantly correlated with QOL scores with either instrument. Correlations between visual analogue scale scores and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire "sleep" (correlation coefficient [r] = 0.35, P =.02) and "nasal symptom" (r = 0.36, P =.02) domains demonstrated a trend toward significance. Patients with nasal valve collapse reported higher visual analogue scale scores for nasal obstruction compared with those with septal deviation alone (P <.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with nasal valve collapse demonstrated greater perception of nasal obstruction than those with septal deviation alone. The Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire appears to be a more sensitive instrument than the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index for patients with nasal obstruction. However, existing measures may lack sensitivity in estimating the QOL of patients with nasal obstruction. A disease-specific instrument for nasal obstruction may be necessary to further evaluate this disease process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communucation Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, 9200 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA. jrhee@mcw.edu
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Book
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burzynski
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009667:Nose Deformities, Acquired / Q000150:complications; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires