journal articles
NASAL IRRIGATION AND GARGLING WITH HYPERTONIC SALINE TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION OF SARS-COV-2 TO CARE HOME RESIDENTS – A FEASIBILITY CLUSTER TRIAL
R.M. Buchanan, K. Ibrahim, H.C. Roberts, B. Stuart, F. Webley, Z. Eminton, D. Ball, F. Chinnery, J. Parkes, J. Wyatt, T. Daniels
Jour Nursing Home Res 2021;7:13-16
Hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargling (HSNIG) has the potential to reduce COVID 19 transmission. We present a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a future trial to test the effectiveness of HSNIG in care homes (CHs). Staff in the intervention CHs were invited to perform HSNIG whereas control CHs carried on with their routine protection procedures. The acceptability of HSNIG was explored via interviews and online surveys. Seven (21%) of contacted CHs participated but following randomisation three (43%) dropped out leaving two intervention CHs and two control CHs. Facilitators to uptake of HSNIG included motivated ‘champions’ and integration into routines. Barriers included a lack of ownership and perceptions of reduced risk from COVID-19. Recruiting and retaining CHs in this study was challenging. Although HSNIG was reported to be safe and acceptable by staff, further work is required to quantify and optimise its acceptability.
CITATION:
R.M. Buchanan ; K. Ibrahim ; H.C. Roberts ; B. Stuart ; F. Webley ; Z. Eminton ; D. Ball ; F. Chinnery ; J. Parkes ; J. Wyatt ; T. Daniels (2021): Nasal irrigation and gargling with hypertonic saline to prevent transmission of Sars-CoV-2 to care home residents – a feasibility cluster trial. The Journal of Nursing Home Research Science (JNHRS). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jnhrs.2021.3