title: Stenting the nasal airway for maximizing inspiratory airflow: internal Max-Air Nose Cones versus external Breathe Right strip.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several nasal dilator devices designed to stent the anterior nasal airway to increase peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) currently exist; however, comparisons of such devices are limited. This study was designed to compare the efficacy of two different nasal dilator devices, an internal device (Max-Air Nose Cones; Sanostec Corp., Beverly Farms, MA) and an external device (Breathe Right nasal strip; GlaxoSmithKline, Brentford, Middlesex, U.K.) on stenting of the anterior nasal airway to maximize PNIF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated measurements of PNIF were obtained in 30 individuals noting complaints of sleep-disordered breathing due to nasal breathing discomfort and nasal airway obstruction, both with and without the two different nasal dilator devices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A one-within analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed among the three conditions (control, Max-Air Nose Cones, and Breathe Right nasal strip), and a statistically significant effect was found (F[2,58] = 298.13; p< 0.00001). Tukey post hoc contrasts revealed that the control condition PNIF (66.07 L/min) was significantly lower than both the Max-Air Nose Cones (138.73 L/min) and the Breathe Right nasal strip (102.17 L/min) conditions. The Max-Air Nose Cone increased inspiratory airflow by 73 L/min, or a 110% improvement over baseline. In addition, the Max-Air Nose Cone condition PNIF was significantly higher than both the control condition and the nasal strip condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although both the Max-Air Nose Cones and the Breathe Right nasal strips increased PNIF from baseline, the Max-Air Nose Cones showed significantly greater efficacy at stenting the anterior nasal airway, providing twice the improvement in PNIF over baseline than did the Breathe Right nasal strips.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Human Psychophysiology Laboratory, Wheeling Jesuit University, Wheeling, WV 26003, USA. raudenbc@wju.edu
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Raudenbush
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001944:Breath Tests; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation; D008297:Male; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011934:Reagent Strips / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D020127:Recovery of Function; D015607:Stents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D011934:Reagent Strips