Archontaki M, Symvoulakis E K, Hajiioannou J K, Stamou A K, Kastrinakis S, Bizaki A J, Kyrmizakis D E
Ear, Nose and Throat Department, General Hospital of Rethymnon, Crete, Greece.
B-ENT. 2009;5(3):159-62.
The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of rhinitis medicamentosa (RM) in patients attending the ENT outpatient clinic of the General Hospital of Rethymnon (Crete, Greece) before and after the launch of an intensive nasal decongestant advertising campaign in Greece.
We reviewed the medical records of the patients with RM seen at the ENT outpatient clinic in May, June and July of 2003 and 2006. We analyzed and recorded the gender, age, and related clinical information of the patients with RM.
In May, June and July of 2003, 41 patients out of a total of 1780 patients attending the ENT outpatient clinic were diagnosed with RM (2.3%). In the same months in 2006, 161 patients out a total of 1898 patients were diagnosed with RM (8.5%). The frequency of RM in these groups was therefore found to have increased significantly between 2003 and 2006. In 2006, 8 out of 10 patients with RM reported that they had made their purchasing decision solely on the basis of the information supplied by the drug advertisement without consulting their doctor or pharmacist.
We suggest that the intensive media advertising campaign for nasal topical decongestants (particularly on TV) which started in 2004 is probably the main reason for this "endemic" RM.
本研究旨在调查在希腊克里特岛雷西姆农总医院耳鼻喉科门诊就诊的患者中，在希腊开展密集的鼻减充血剂广告宣传活动前后药物性鼻炎（RM）的发生率。
我们回顾了2003年和2006年5月、6月及7月在耳鼻喉科门诊就诊的RM患者的病历。我们分析并记录了RM患者的性别、年龄及相关临床信息。
2003年5月、6月及7月，在总共1780名到耳鼻喉科门诊就诊的患者中，有41名被诊断为RM（2.3%）。2006年的同一月份，在总共1898名患者中有161名被诊断为RM（8.5%）。因此，发现这些组中RM的发生率在2003年至2006年间显著增加。2006年，10名RM患者中有8名报告称，他们完全根据药品广告提供的信息做出购买决定，而未咨询医生或药剂师。
我们认为，2004年开始的针对鼻用局部减充血剂的密集媒体广告宣传活动（尤其是在电视上）可能是这种“地方性”RM的主要原因。
