Volume : 4, Issue : 8, August - 2015

A study comparing six month treatment effects of Intranasal Mometasone, Azelastine and Oral Cetirizine in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis.

Radhika Soanker, Hanumantha Rao Avs, Jayasree

Abstract :

<p>Objectives: Allergic rhinitis is an allergen induced upper airway inflammatory disease. This one-year study was taken up to compare the efficacy of intranasal azelastine, intranasal mometasone and oral cetirizine in patients of allergic rhinitis during the six months treatment period and in the six month follow up period after treatment cessation. Methods: In this open label, three-arm study, patients aged 18- 60 yrs, with at least one month history of persistent allergic rhinitis were enrolled and eligible patients were randomized into Group I -Intranasal Azelastine/ Group II-Intranasal Mometasone/ Group III- Oral Cetirizine. Primary outcome measure was reduction in total symptom score at 14 days from baseline. Results: Each group had 15 patients with median baseline symptom scores of 10, 9 and 9 in Groups I, II and III respectively. There was significant reduction in total nasal symptom scores in Group II when compared to Groups I (p&lt;0.01) and III (P&lt;0.0001) and between Groups I &amp; III, the reduction in total nasal symptom scores was non-significant at day 14. The number of recurrent episodes of rhinitis during follow up period were significantly less in group II when compared to Groups I (p&lt;0.0001) and III (p&lt;0.0001) and were significantly less in Group I when compared to Group III (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Mometasone nasal spray when used for longer duration despite resolution of symptoms, is effective in prevention of recurrent episodes after treatment cessation, when compared to azelastine nasal spray and oral cetirizine.</p>