Examining the Impact and Complexity of Sinusitis Complications in the Iraqi Population and Their Treatment

Abstract

Background: Sinusitis is the most prevalent of all known chronic diseases, affecting 35% of the population in Iraq. The complications of sinusitis are serious due to the importance of the anatomical structures surrounding the paranasal sinuses, resulting in high morbidity and mortality (18–20%). Objective:  This study was specialized to analyze the impact of sinusitis complications and its treatment on Iraqi patients. Patients and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with sinusitis that recruited 102 patients who underwent surgery for endoscopic sinusitis in different hospitals in Iraq for the period between February 15, 2022, and February 27, 2023. This study recorded all clinical and surgical data of patients during and after endoscopic surgery, which included the duration of the surgical procedure, the percentage of patients admitted to the intensive care unit, the percentage of patients who experienced nausea or vomiting after surgery, the duration of follow-up, the complication rate, the pain rate, and the quality of patients after endoscopic sinusitis surgery. Results: The rate of male patients was highest at 68.63%, compared to the rate of female patients, which was 31.37%. The most common symptoms that patients experienced were nasal congestion, which affected 30 patients, and cough, which affected 26 patients. Patients with recurrent acute sinusitis (25.49%) were second, making up 40.20% of the total. The length of hospital stay was 2.85 ± 0.34, one patient was admitted to the intensive care unit, and the rate of non-operative ventilation was 4.9%; postoperative complications were 5 cases out of the total number of patients; psychological function was 67.98 ± 8.86; and after surgery, it was 92.44 ± 4.35; the physical aspect was 40.79 ± 21.68 before surgery and 89.77 ± 6.55 after surgery. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that sinusitis surgery is the most effective surgical procedure, as it lowers complication and pain rates and enhances the quality of life for sinusitis patients