title: Nasal patency in Poles in the light of research as part of the project on Epidemiology of Allergic Diseases in Poland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to estimate the reference values for nasal inspiratory flow in the study population in Poland as part of the project on Epidemiology of Allergic Diseases in Poland (ECAP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study subjects were a group of 4,137 people: 1,136 children aged 6-7 years (561 girls and 575 boys), 1,123 adolescents aged 13-14 years (546 girls, 577 boys) and 1,878 adults (1,145 women, 733 men), residing in seven large Polish cities. The method used in the study was the measurement of the peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) using a special mask for rhinomanometry tests, with a measurement scale of 20-350 L/min. Measurements were conducted twice: once before and once after nasal mucosa vasoconstriction with a 0.1% xylometazoline (Xylometazolinum) solution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nasal patency rates increased with age in healthy subjects (children aged 6-7 years: 75.95 L/min; teenagers aged 13-14 years: 91.44 L/min and adults: 97.13 L/min (P<0.05). Similarly significant correlations were observed in the study group based on the region of residence (P<0.05). A moderate correlation was observed between PNIF and height as well as weight (with correlation coefficients r=0.51, P<0.05; and r=0.49, P<0.05, respectively). Interestingly, the observed difference in nasal vasoconstriction varied considerably between study subgroups with respect to the pre-determined criteria of age, gender, place of residence, and clinical diagnosis (allergic rhinitis vs. healthy controls), with the mean rates of 25-28%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Any attempt to determine reference values for a given study population should include a number of variables, such as age, height, body weight, which can noticeably affect study results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krzych-Fałta
authors.affiliation: 1. Chair of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Applied Informatics and Mathematics Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Poland; 2. Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furmanczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Bolesław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Samolinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Piekarska
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Samel-Kowalik
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lipiec
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raciborski
authors.affiliation: 1. Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland; 2. Department of Pediatric and Neonatology, Central Clinical Hospital of Ministry of Internal Affair, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sybilski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation; D007320:Inspiratory Capacity; D008297:Male; D009666:Nose; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012016:Reference Values; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D025363:Rhinomanometry