Table 2.
Recommendations from International Guidelines and Finnish National Guidelines considering the usage of nasal saline irrigation (NSI) for different sinonasal diseases and the strength of recommendation (if reported).
| Indication | Recommendation | Strength of recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Acute rhinosinusitis and common cold (ARS) | ||
| EPOS 2020 for adults and children [1] | NSI possibly has benefits for symptom relief mainly in children | Ib# |
| EPOS 2020 for adults with acute post-viral rhinosinusitis [1] | No recommendation can be given based on very low quality of evidence | |
| EPOS 2020 for adults with acute bacterial rhinosinusitis [1] | No recommendation can be given based on very low quality of evidence | |
| Finnish Guideline: ARS and common cold [11] | No mention of NSI | |
| Allergic rhinitis (AR) | ||
| ARIA 2008 [3] | Recommended in a pharmacy setting | |
| Finnish guideline: AR [12] | No mention of NSI | |
| AAFP Clinical Practice Guideline: AR 2015 [13] | No mention of NSI | |
| Asthma | ||
| Global initiative for asthma (GINA) [14] | No mention of NSI | |
| Finnish guideline: Asthma [15] | No mention of NSI | |
| International ERS/ATS guideline for asthma [16] | No mention of NSI | |
| Atrophic rhinitis | ||
| Finnish guideline: Atrophic rhinitis [17] | Recommended | |
| Chronic sinusitis (CRS) | ||
| EPOS 2020 for adults with chronic rhinosinusitis [1] | Recommended | Ia* |
| EPOS 2020 for children with chronic rhinosinusitis [1] | Recommended | Ib+# |
| Finnish guideline: CRS [11]* | Recommended | Low |
| Post-operative care after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) | ||
| No official guidelines exist | ||
| Regular cleaning after FESS | ||
| No official guidelines exist | ||
Note. EPOS 2020 reports the level of evidence instead of strength of recommendation.
*Based on older Cochrane reviews, *Ia: based on systematic review of RCTs; #Ib: based on individual RCT.