Oxymetazoline Bridge Therapy With Intranasal Corticosteroids in Pediatric Allergic Rhinitis

Summary

Persistent allergic rhinitis in children is commonly treated with intranasal corticosteroids (INS), which are considered first-line therapy. However, the delayed onset of action of INS may reduce patient adherence and delay symptom relief. This randomized controlled study evaluates whether adding short-term oxymetazoline nasal spray during the first 5 days of INS treatment ("bridge therapy") improves clinical outcomes, nasal airflow, quality of life, nasal inflammation, and medication adherence in children with persistent allergic rhinitis. Children aged 4-18 years with moderate-to-severe persistent allergic rhinitis were randomized into two parallel groups. One group received mometasone furoate nasal spray alone for 4 weeks, while the other group received mometasone furoate combined with oxymetazoline during the first 5 days of treatment. Clinical symptoms, Peak Nasal Inspiratory Flow (PNIF), Pediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ), Nasal Nitric Oxide (nNO), and Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS) scores were evaluated.

Timeline

Start

2025-01-02

Primary completion

2026-01-15

Completion

2026-01-16

Publications

• Background Gil-Mata S, Vieira RJ, Borowiack E, Sadowska E, Bognanni A, Cardoso-Fernandes A, Ferreira-Cardoso H, Castro-Teles J, Soprani J, Pinheiro L, Marques-Cruz M, Campos-Lopes M, Lourenco-Silva N, Ferreira-da-Silva R, Bedbrook A, Litynska J, Cherrez-Ojeda I, Klimek L, Pfaar O, Fernandes RM, Fiocchi AG, Giovannini M, Larenas-Linnemann DE, Pham-Thi N, Papadopoulos NG, Roberts G, Valiulis A, Yepes-Nunez JJ, Zuberbier T, Fonseca JA, Schunemann HJ, Bousquet J, Sousa-Pinto B; ARIA 2024 Guideline Panel. Intranasal Treatments for Allergic Rhinitis in Preschool- and School-Age Children: Network Meta-Analysis. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2025 Oct;13(10):2826-2837. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2025.07.004. Epub 2025 Jul 15.

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