Table 2 A long-list of reported outcomes and Outcome Measure Instruments (OMIs) extracted from the trials

Patient history of CRS: nasal blockage/congestion, nasal discharge, olfactory disturbance, facial pressure or pain, headache

Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) – multiple variations, SNOT-20, modified RSDI, SNOT-22, RSOM-31, Chronic Sinusitis Survey, SNAQ-11

Overall discomfort

SNOT-20, Short-form-36 (SF-36)

Adjunctive symptoms of sneezing, itching, cough, Eustachian tube discomfort, dizziness, otalgia

SNOT-20, SNOT-22

Impact on quality of life with inclusion of mental health, sleep disruption, fatigue, productivity, concentration

SNOT-20, SNOT-22, SF-36, Short-form-12 (SF-12)

Nasal swelling and local or systemic inflammation

Acoustic rhinomanometry, nitric oxide (NO), peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF), nasal mucosal eosinophilia on nasal smear or biopsy, intranasal inflammatory markers such as interleukins, serum inflammatory markers including WCC and differential, ESR, CRP, serum immunoglobulins with emphasis on IgE, skin-prick testing and serum RAST testing

Altered mucociliary function

Saccharine clearance test

Surgical and medical complications

Patient history, patient diary, blood tests for steroid-induced side effects, ocular assessments including slit-lamp examination, tonometry studies, visual acuity, colour vision charts, oral swabs for candidiasis

Intranasal polyps, discharge, oedema, adhesions, crusting

Anterior rhinoscopy, nasal endoscopy, polyp histology

Treatment compliance, adjunctive use of rescue medication, comfort of treatment

Patient diary, history, number of bottles or volume of spray/inhaler used, number of empty douche bottles

Extent of sinonasal disease

Nasal endoscopy, CT scan (Lund-Mackay or Catalano and Payne modification of the frontal recess), plain sinus X-ray, MRI

Presence of intranasal bacteria and fungi

Swab/secretion microscopy and culture, intranasal fungal protein (Alternaria) levels

Impact on asthma

History, global initiative for asthma guidelines, patient diary, VAS, peak expiratory flow rate, FEV₁, pulmonary function tests, exhaled respiratory NO

Olfaction

History, VAS, SNOT-20, SNOT-22, butanol threshold test, University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), coffee turpentine and lavender oil smell assessment on a scale of 0–3, oflactometry, Sniffin Sticks

Length of improvement with treatment

X-rays, history