Comparison of rapid rhino and merocel nasal packs in endonasal septal surgery.
OBJECTIVE
Our study compared Rapid Rhino (RR; Applied Therapeutic Ltd, Leicestershire, UK) and Merocel (Medtronic Xomed, Jacksonville, FL) nasal packing materials in endonasal septoplasty surgery in terms of postoperative patient comfort and reactionary bleeding.


METHODS
Fifty-one patients underwent endonasal septoplasty. One nasal cavity was packed with Merocel packs and the RR pack was used for the other side. The pain and nasal fullness levels on each side were studied at 1 and 6 hours postoperatively. Pain level was also studied during the removal of the nasal packs on the second day. These levels were scored on the basis of a visual analogue scale (VAS) between 0 and 10. Reactionary bleeding after nasal pack removal was also recorded. The Wilcoxon test was used for statistical analysis of the VAS scores, and the McNemar test was used for comparison of bleeding levels after pack removal. A p value<.05 was considered to be statistically significant.


RESULTS
Minimal bleeding was noted in 15 patients following Merocel pack removal; however, no bleeding was seen following RR pack removal. Comparison of the VAS scores of pain and nasal fullness of each nasal pack at 1 and 6 hours postoperatively showed a statistically significant difference (p<.05). Similarly, comparison of the pain level for pack removal and bleeding after removal on the second postoperative day demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p<.05 and p=.001, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
RR is more tolerable by patients than Merocel after septoplasty surgery. RR also has some advantages, namely, easy pack removal and less reactionary bleeding.
Ozcan
Cengiz
C
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mersin University, and Tarsus State Hospital, Mersin, Turkey. cozcan@mersin.edu.tr
Vayisoglu
Yusuf
Y
Kiliç
Serkan
S
Görür
Kemal
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006490:Hemostatics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000601:surgery*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011145:Polyvinyls / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013630:Tampons, Surgical; D055815:Young Adult
D006490:Hemostatics; D011145:Polyvinyls; D005557:Formaldehyde; C027490:polyvinyl alcohol formaldehyde foam; C013215:polyvinyl acetate; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium