Prevalence of Chronic Rhinosinusitis in Rajavithi hospital workers, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has been reported to range from 5% to 12% in different parts of the world. However, the prevalence of CRS in Thailand has not been investigated. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of CRS among hospital workers and identify any potential problems encountered during the survey. Methods: Adult workers (>18 years) of Rajavithi Hospital, a tertiary hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, were recruited. This cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 2021 to September 2022. The participants were given a link to online questionnaires asking if they had nasal obstruction, discharge, decreased smell sensation, or facial pain and their respective duration. Phone numbers and email were asked for contact when needed. The participants who fulfilled the symptom and duration according to the European position paper on rhinosinusitis and nasal polyp 2020 were counted as symptom-based CRS patients. These patients were then contacted for nasal endoscopy. The endoscopic-based diagnosis of CRS was made after positive endoscopy findings. Result: A total of 1,025 participants (mean age of 33.7 years) were recruited. Of total, there were 34 (3.3%) and 6 (0.58%) participants fulfilled symptom- and endoscopy-based diagnoses, respectively. Fourteen participants did not respond to calls or emails. Five patients refused to visit the clinic due to inconveniences. One patient refused nasal endoscopy because of the expenses. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis in workers of Rajavithi Hospital, was 3.3% and 0.58% by symptom- and endoscopy-based criteria, respectively. Difficulty reaching the participants for nasal endoscopy was the leading survey problem.