Nasal airway response to infused phenylephrine in normals and in patients with allergic and non-allergic rhinitis.

To find whether patients with chronic rhinitis might be congested because of hyporesponsiveness to adrenergic vasoconstrictive influences, we measured nasal airway resistance (NAR) in normals and allergic and non-allergic rhinitics during intravenous infusion of graded doses of phenylephrine. All responded with decreases in NAR and first evidences of NAR fall appeared no later in those with rhinitis than in normals. Nasal congestion and response were asymmetrical; absolute NAR in the low resistance side was similar in all groups and there was little response to phenylephrine. In the high resistance side, NAR reached its minimum by the time the total infused dose was 1400 mcg, indicating maximum response to drug was achieved within the dose range studied. Minimum NAR achieved on the high resistance side was higher in rhinitics suggesting residual vascular engorgement resistant to phenylephrine or non-vascular mucosal swelling. Resistance to adrenergic vasoconstriction does not appear to be the primary contributor to mucosal swelling in chronic rhinitis.