Abstract
The therapeutic effect of flunisolide given with a nebulizer was compared with that of the drug given as a metered-dose spray. Flunisolide nebulizer was given at least 3 times a week (each dose contained 100μg of flunisolide) and metered-dose flunisolide spray twice a day (morning and evening, each dose contained 100-200μg of flunisolide), both for 2 weeks. The metered dose spray was superior to the nebulizer in improving clinical symptoms, but the differences were significant only in the onset of sneezing and nasal secretion. There was no significant difference in the percent efficacy between the nebulizer (68.7%) and metered-dose spray (72.0%) in patients treated for 8 days or more. The patients treated with nebulizer had normal clinical laboratory values and serum cortisol level and experienced no adverse reactions. The results suggest that flunisolide is effective against nasal diseases other than allergic rhinitis which respond to corticosteroid aerosol.
