title: [Comparative study of nasal packs and postoperative negative-pressure septal drainage in patients undergoing nasal septal surgery].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study whether negative-pressure septal drainage could be an alternative to packs after septoplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized controlled trial. The study involved 60 patients who underwent septoplasty. Patients were randomly divided into two groups, one with anterior nasal packs and the other with negative-pressure septal drainage. Patients were asked to record pain levels using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Postoperative symptoms and complications were compared during 24 h and 48 h postoperative period including pain, drying sensation of mouth, sleep difficulty, conjunctival congestion, haemorrhage. VAS scores and incidence were evaluated during 1 week and 6 weeks postoperative period including pain, bleeding, haematoma, septal perforation, synechiae and septal perforation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients of negative-pressure septal drainage suffered from less pain than patients of nasal packs during the first 24 h and 48 h postoperative period. The results for pain, drying sensation of mouth, sleep difficulty, conjunctival congestion, haemorrhage were different between groups (P < 0.05), especially the amount of bleeding during 48 h postoperatively in patients undergoing negative pressure drainage [(0.52 ± 0.63)ml] was significantly less than the group who received anterior nasal packs [(21.03 ± 5.88) ml] (P < 0.01). On the other hand, haematoma, synechiae and perforation were not statistically different between groups during 1 week and 6 weeks follow-up period (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using negative-pressure drainage instead of nasal packs after septoplasty seems a more reasonable option. The negative-pressure drainage technique may be the preferred option to provide higher patient satisfaction and has the same level of postoperative complica.tion to nasal packs as for septoplasty surgery.
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Junfang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D004322:Drainage; D006801:Humans; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000601:surgery*; D059747:Nasal Surgical Procedures; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009666:Nose; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013630:Tampons, Surgical