Date of Award

2018

Degree Type

Selective Evidence-Based Medicine Review

Degree Name

Master of Science in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant

Department

Physician Assistant Studies

Department Chair

John Cavenagh, MBA, PhD, PA-C

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to determine how well leukotriene inhibitors/modifiers reduce symptoms associated with nasal polyps.

Study Design: The studies included in this review are three randomized controlled trials.

Data Source: The three RCTs in this review were obtained by performing a PubMed search using the keywords “nasal polyp”, “leukotriene”, and “Montelukast”. All articles were published in English and in peer-reviewed journals.

Outcomes Measured: The three studies determine whether there was significant improvement of symptoms in patients with nasal polyps who were treated adjunctively with leukotriene inhibitors/modifiers. The symptoms were measured before and after the treatments using three different symptom score guidelines.

Results: Patients who were diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis who were given Montelukast (leukotriene inhibitor) as adjunctive therapy demonstrated statistically significant reduction in symptoms, p<0.05. In all three studies, Wu et al10, Yelverton et al11, Suri et al12 the symptom scores decreased significantly in comparison to patients who received no Montelukast adjunctive therapy.

Conclusions: Based on the systematic review of the three randomized controlled trials, one can decisively say that leukotriene inhibitors/modifiers (Montelukast) can reduce the symptoms associated with the presence of nasal polyps. All three studies verified statistically significant reduction in symptoms compared to the control groups.

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