ROLE OF AMPHOTERICIN B NASAL IRRIGATION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC RHINOSINUSITIS WITH NASAL POLYPS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AT LRH PESHAWAR

Abstract

Objective: To assess the change in clinical symptom scores and describe adverse effects following amphotericin B nasal irrigation in adults with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Methods: This single-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from 24 July 2025 to 24 January 2026. Eighty-nine consecutively recruited adults with complete paired records were assessed using a study-specific four-item symptom score. Normality was evaluated with the Shapiro-Wilk test. Because paired score differences were non-normally distributed, pre-treatment and post-treatment scores were compared using two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: The median age was 41 years (interquartile range [IQR], 36-46), and 46 (51.69%) participants were men. The median total symptom score decreased from 10 (IQR, 9-10) before treatment to 5 (IQR, 5-6) after treatment, with a median paired reduction of 5 points (IQR, 4-5; p<0.001). All four symptom components also showed lower post-treatment scores (all p<0.001). Minor local adverse effects were recorded in 51 (57.30%) participants: mild irritation in 24 (26.97%), mild dryness in 14 (15.73%), and burning sensation in 13 (14.61%). No serious adverse effect was recorded. Conclusions: Post-treatment symptom scores were lower than baseline scores; however, the uncontrolled design, study-specific non-validated outcome measure, and incompletely specified treatment protocol preclude conclusions regarding efficacy or routine clinical use.