Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  1997 Apr;40(4):574-579.

Change in the Nasal Patency and Mucociliary Clearance after Phenylephrine Spray

• Kwon SH
• Kim JH

Abstract

Mucociliary clearance of nasal cavity is one of the most important defense mechanism of the respiratory tract. Abnormalities in the mucociliary clearance may cause pathologic condition of nose and paranasal sinus. Fifty healthy volunteers with no rhinologic disorders were studied to determine the effect of phenylephrine spray on mucociliary clearance and nasal patency. Nasal patency was evaluated using acoustic rhinometry and mucociliary clearance was measured using saccharine method. The result shows that cross sectional area of C-notch increased after phenylephrine spray but mucociliary transit time was prolonged from 476 seconds to 624 seconds, which was statistically significant(p < 0.05). These data demonstrate that phenylephrine should be used judiciously in order to minimize the negative effect of mucociliary dysfunction.

Keyword

Mucociliary clearance; Nasal patency; Phenylephrine

MeSH Terms

Healthy Volunteers
Mucociliary Clearance*
Nasal Cavity
Nose
Phenylephrine*
Respiratory System
Rhinometry, Acoustic
Saccharin
Phenylephrine
Saccharin