Assessing and treating rhinitis. A practical guide for Canadian physicians. Proceedings of the Canadian Rhinitis Symposium. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. January 14-15, 1994.

OBJECTIVES

Rhinitis is an extremely common health problem in Canada and is a heterogeneous disorder, which may manifest with a variety of different clinical presentations and secondary complications. This document Assessing and Treating Rhinitis: A Practical Guide for Canadian Physicians has been developed to assist family physicians and specialists who assess and treat patients with rhinitis and its complications.

OPTIONS

This guide provides an overview of the pathogenesis and key clinical features of the different types of rhinitis, as well as diagnostic tests that are available. Management strategies including patient information, pharmacotherapy, immunotherapy, and the role of surgical therapy in the treatment of rhinitis and its complications are reviewed.

OUTCOMES

Symptoms of rhinitis have variable effects on our patients' health, ranging from minor irritation to significant morbidity with loss of time from work and school. Although the pathophysiology of many types of rhinitis is unknown, an accurate diagnosis is necessary, since not all types of rhinitis will respond to the same treatment measures.

EVIDENCE

This guide is an edited review of presentations and discussions held by specialists in allergy, clinical immunology and otolaryngology who participated in the Canadian Rhinitis Symposium in Toronto, Ontario on January 14 and 15, 1994.

VALUES

The value of a given diagnostic test or treatment option was determined based on the clinical experience and opinions of the specialists at the Symposium and a review of the literature.

BENEFITS, HARMS AND COSTS: This document was designed to provide an overview of the most effective clinical approaches to the assessment and treatment of rhinitis. The clinical judgment of the practising clinician, however, must always be incorporated into any diagnostic or therapeutic decision.

RECOMMENDATIONS

An accurate diagnosis of the type of rhinitis is necessary for treatment success. In treatment, all patients, regardless of the type of rhinitis, benefit from education concerning their condition. Each patient requires a customized approach to the management of their rhinitis, which may include pharmacotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgical therapy.

VALIDATION

This guide was developed by the faculty and reviewed by the participants at the Canadian Rhinitis Symposium. As might be expected, these experts with different areas of interest and from different countries did not always have complete congruence of opinions. We believe, however, that this guide is a fair representation of the prevailing opinions expressed by the Symposium faculty and participants.

SPONSOR

The Canadian Rhinitis Symposium, as well as technical support and assistance in manuscript preparation by the staff of Core Communications, were funded by an educational grant from Glaxo Canada Inc.