THE EFFECTS OF NASAL PACKS ON SYSTEMIC BLOOD PRESSURE AFTER SEPTOPLASTY
1Department of ENT, University of Kocatepe, Afyon, Turkey2Department of Cardiology, University of Kocatepe, Afyon, Turkey Objective:Nasal packs are widely used in nasal operations causing acute and complete obstruction of the nasal passage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of nasal packs on systemic blood pressure (BP) after septoplasty operations.
Methods: Forty randomly selected patients (24 male, 16 female) aged between 18-55 (mean 31,3±10,4) with septal deviaton were included in our study. These patients were divided into two groups with twenty patients each. In the first group Merocel nasal packs were used after septoplasty and in the second group transseptal suturing was done. Sex and age matched twenty adults were assigned as controls. All the patients in the study groups were put onto 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring before septoplasty and on the second postoperative day (with nasal packs). The data were compared using SPSS 10.0 software.
Results: The mean night systolic and diastolic BP were found to be significantly increased in the second postoperative day in nasal packing group (p<0,05). In the transseptal suturing group, the mean night systolic and diastolic BP were found to be slightly increased, but this changes were not statically significant (p>0,05). The BP levels were found significantly higher in the nasal packing group when the postoperative 2nd day mean night systolic and diastolic BP of both study groups were compared (p<0,05).
Conclusion: Acute airway obstruction by nasal packs after nasal operations may lead to a significant increase in mean nocturnal systolic and diastolic BP in normotensive patients. Therefore care must be taken when nasal packs are used in patients with cardiologic and vascular diseases.
Keywords : Nasal obstruction, hypertension, septoplasty, blood pressure