Ottaviano Giancarlo, Lund Valerie J, Nardello Ennio, Scarpa Bruno, Mylonakis Ioannis, Frasson Giuliana, Iacono Valentina, Manzato Enzo, Marioni Gino, Staffieri Alberto
Otolaryngology Section, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy,
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2014 Sep;271(9):2427-31. doi: 10.1007/s00405-013-2875-4. Epub 2014 Jan 1.
The global population is aging, with the over-65 age group expected to double in the USA by 2030. Three subcategories of elderly people have been identified: "young old" (from 65 to 74 years), "older old" (from 75 to 84) and "oldest old" (85 or more). Rhinosinusitis is a common disease that affects more than 31 million people in the USA every year. Nasal obstruction is one of the most common symptoms in patients affected by rhinosinusitis. An accurate nasal obstruction evaluation in the elderly is becoming of increasing interest for medical doctors, especially for geriatricians. Peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) is a cheap and easy method for assessing nasal patency. The purpose of the study was to compare young old normal PNIF values with older old normal PNIF values. Charts relating PNIF normal values in the elderly with various explanatory variables have been provided. PNIF measurements were performed in 113 volunteers aged 65-84 years. One hundred and five of them fulfilled the study criteria and were self-reported healthy elderly. None of them complained of nasal symptoms. Data were statistically analyzed and figures and tables were produced relating PNIF to height, sex and age. PNIF values decreased with age (p = 0.0053) and were significantly lower in the "older old" sub-cohort than in the "young old" group (p = 0.007). Nasal obstruction in the elderly is a common problem and appropriate diagnosis and treatment are important for improving their quality of life. The measurement of PNIF could be useful in evaluating elderly patients who complain of nasal obstruction.
全球人口正在老龄化，预计到2030年美国65岁以上的年龄组人数将翻倍。老年人被分为三个子类别：“年轻老人”（65至74岁）、“年长老人”（75至84岁）和“最年长老人”（85岁及以上）。鼻窦炎是一种常见疾病，在美国每年影响超过3100万人。鼻塞是受鼻窦炎影响患者最常见的症状之一。对老年人进行准确的鼻塞评估越来越受到医生的关注，尤其是老年病医生。鼻吸气峰流量（PNIF）是一种评估鼻腔通畅性的廉价且简便的方法。本研究的目的是比较年轻老人的正常PNIF值与年长老人的正常PNIF值。已提供了将老年人PNIF正常值与各种解释变量相关的图表。对113名年龄在65至84岁的志愿者进行了PNIF测量。其中105人符合研究标准，是自我报告健康的老年人。他们中没有人抱怨有鼻部症状。对数据进行了统计分析，并制作了将PNIF与身高、性别和年龄相关的图表。PNIF值随年龄下降（p = 0.0053），并且在“年长老人”亚组中显著低于“年轻老人”组（p = 0.007）。老年人的鼻塞是一个常见问题，适当的诊断和治疗对于改善他们的生活质量很重要。PNIF的测量对于评估抱怨鼻塞的老年患者可能有用。
