Abstract
Measuring nasal airflow and nasal breathing has been a major goal of rhinology. Many
objective methods for measuring nasal airflow or nasal airway resistance or dimensions
provide valuable data but are time-consuming and require expensive equipment and trained
technicians, thus making these methods less practical for clinical practice. Peak
nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) measurement is fast, unexpensive, noninvasive, and able
to provide an objective evaluation of nasal airflow in real-time. Unilateral PNIF
measurements allow separated evaluation of each side of the nasal airway and may prove
particularly useful when clinical assessment detects significant asymmetry between
both nasal cavities.
PNIF measurements are most useful for assessing changes in nasal airflow achieved
by any form of therapy, including surgical treatment of the nasal airway. These measurements
generally correlate with other objective methods for nasal airway evaluation, but
not unequivocally with patient-reported evaluation of nasal breathing. Nevertheless,
as low PNIF values prevent the sensation of a suitable nasal breathing, PNIF measurement
may also prove useful to optimize the decision of how to best address patients with
complaints of nasal airway obstruction.
Keywords
peak nasal inspiratory flow - PNIF - nasal airway evaluation
