Results of a RCT assessing saline and xylitol nasal irrigation for CRS and fatigue in Gulf War illness

Non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents for chronic rhinosinusitis: a narrative review

OBJECTIVE

This narrative review explores alternative non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents for CRS management in adults.

METHODS

Alternative antimicrobial agents using EPOS 2020 guidelines as reference were selected, and articles dated from 2003 to 2022 in English, Portuguese, or Spanish using PubMed and EMBASE databases. The parameters analyzed included study design, evidence level, population characteristics, CRS characteristics, interventions, outcomes, sample size, randomization, blinding, and side effects. Reviews, unrelated contexts,in vitro experiments, and duplicates were excluded.

RESULTS

148 articles were screened; 19 articles were selected for analysis. Randomized controlled trials and cohort studies assessing non-antibiotic antimicrobial treatments for CRS were included. Xylitol demonstrated effectiveness in reducing CRS symptoms, particularly SNOT-22 scores, surpassing saline irrigation benefits. Manuka honey showed potential microbiological benefits in recalcitrant CRS, but symptomatic and endoscopic improvements remained inconclusive. Baby shampoo irrigation improved nasal mucociliary clearance and postoperative outcomes. Colloidal silver nasal irrigation showed limited efficacy in reducing CRS symptoms or endoscopic scores. Povidone-Iodine (PI) nasal irrigation yielded mixed results, with varying effects on culture negativity and SNOT-20 scores. Bacteriophage treatment exhibited promise in decreasing specific bacterial strains and cytokine levels.

CONCLUSION

Non-antibiotic antimicrobial therapies, including xylitol, manuka honey, baby shampoo, colloidal silver, PI, bacteriophages, lactoferrin, and carrageenan offer potential alternatives for CRS in adult patients. Xylitol, baby shampoo, and PI presented benefits in improving symptoms and nasal endoscopic scores, however, the number of studies is limited for conclusive recommendations and safety assessments. CRS management should adopt a comprehensive approach, particularly for non-infectious or immune-related cases, moving beyond antibiotics. Antibiotics should be reserved for confirmed bacterial infections. Overall, this review shows the importance of exploring non-antibiotic therapies to enhance the management of CRS.

Current Perspective on Nasal Delivery Systems for Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Chronic rhinosinusitis is an upper respiratory disease during which topical drug treatment via the nasal cavity is the most actively utilized therapeutic strategy. In addition to steroids, antibiotics, and antifungal agents, which are widely used in clinical practice, research on novel topical agents to improve the bacterial biofilm or mucociliary clearance remains ongoing. Moreover, owing to the complex structure of the nasal cavity, the effects of nasal drug delivery vary depending on factors related to delivery fluid dynamics, including device, volume, and compounds. In this article, we review methods and compounds that have been applied to chronic rhinosinusitis management and introduce recent advances and future perspectives in nasal drug delivery for upper respiratory diseases.