Intra- and intersession reliability of acoustic rhinometry in measuring nasal cross-sectional area

Ear Nose Throat J. 2001 Aug;80(8):536, 539-40.

Abstract

We evaluated the intrasession and intersession reliability of acoustic rhinometry in measuring nasal cross-sectional areas in 10 subjects. Subjects were measured under three conditions: with a Breathe Right nasal strip in place, with a sham strip in place, and with no strip in place. Two sets of three measurements were taken 1 week apart. The intrasession reliability both with and without the Breathe Right strip was very good (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] [2,1]: 0.97 and 0.98, respectively). The intersession reliability with and without the Breathe Right strip was not nearly as good (ICC [2,1]: 0.62 and 0.67). The Breathe Right strip increased the mean nasal cross-sectional area by 0.10 cm2 (17.4%). We conclude that acoustic rhinometry is a reliable way to measure nasal cross-sectional area during a single session of multiple tests, but it is not as reliable across sessions. We also determined that the Breathe Right nasal strip significantly increases nasal cross-sectional area.

MeSH terms

  • Acoustics
  • Humans
  • Manometry / methods*
  • Nasal Cavity / physiology*
  • Nasal Mucosa / physiology
  • Otolaryngology / instrumentation
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Respiration*