What is a rhinocytogram? Decoding, the norm in children, the description of the procedure and the preparation for it

Inflammatory processes occurring in the nasal cavity are a very big problem for children. It happens that parents conduct improper treatment of chronic rhinitis, since there are many varieties of such a disease and each requires the application of a specific method of therapy.

It is very important to carry out diagnosis for diagnosis. For this, a rhinocytogram is performed. Deciphering a smear from the nose will determine the presence of the disease and identify the features of its course.

What is a rhinocytogram

Rinocytogram is a complex analysis of the microflora of the nasal sinuses. To do this, take a swab from the nose to get a nasal secretion. A similar method of investigation implies an estimate of the number of such cells, as:

• Lymphocytes;
• Erythrocytes;
• Neutrophils;
• Ciliated epithelium;
• Macrophages;
• Yeast mushrooms;
• Eosinophils.

With the help of the research, it is possible to determine which bacteria triggered the onset of the common cold for the most successful fight against it.

Indication for the procedure

The rhinocytogram is an analysis of a smear taken from the nasal mucosa. The procedure is for adults and children. Often, such an analysis is prescribed for people who have a prolonged persistent runny nose or frequent recurrences of infection of the respiratory tract.

The group at increased risk include:

• children;
• People with weakened immunity;
• Transplanted organ transplantation;
• People with diabetes.

Without fail this study is prescribed if the patient has one or several complaints at once, namely:

• Nasal congestion, observed for more than a week;
• Nasal discharge, not amenable to treatment;
• Sneezing;
• Itching of the nasal mucosa.

This is a fairly simple analysis that does not bring any unpleasant sensations to the child.

Preparation for the fence of the secret

Many patients are wondering how to make a rhinocytogram and how to prepare for the study. To obtain accurate results, you must follow certain rules. For two days before sampling the analysis should stop using various ointments inside and outside the nose. It is forbidden to use drops and sprays containing antibacterial components and corticosteroids.

5 days before the material is taken, stop taking antibiotics. Do not wash the nasal sinuses one day before taking the smear, and also on this day it is advisable not to brush your teeth and drink only water.

Features of the procedure

Rinocytogram in a child and an adult is carried out at any time, however, it is best to do it at the initial stages of the disease. Take the sampling analysis in a fairly simple way. The procedure is completely painless, and you should not be afraid of it even for children.

To carry out the collection of material, the patient slightly tilts the head back, and the doctor or nurse uses a cotton swab to take the required amount of material for the study. Exactly the same procedure you need to do with the other nostril. Then the samples are placed in a special container with a special nutrient medium, which is required for the growth of microorganisms.

Often, to obtain a more accurate result, a doctor can apply an endoscope. Such a study is conducted under local anesthesia. This type of sampling material for analysis causes some discomfort, since it is carried out from the paranasal sinuses. The resulting material is considered more informative, since it can be used to detect the presence of neutrophils in the smear.

What do cells mean in the analysis

The qualified doctor should describe the result obtained, since he knows how to decipher the analysis (rhinocytogram). The nasal mucosa consists of several cells, each of which performs a certain function. If bacteria or viruses get on the mucous membrane, then the level of leukocytes increases to fight them. These cells are involved in the formation of immunity.

The increase in leukocytes indicates the presence of infection in the body, and the excess of one of the leukocyte fractions indicates the cause of the disease. When the allergens get into the nasal mucosa, an allergic reaction occurs. It is caused by the formation on the surface of the mucosa of eosinophils. In addition, the study can detect the epithelium and bacteria.

Normal in children and adults

When conducting a study, it is necessary to know which rhinocytogram is normal in children. Decoding in the table allows to determine the normal indices of the components of the nasal sinus for adults and children.

The content of these cells is not constant, it can fluctuate throughout the day. In the morning or evening time, this figure can be reduced by about 20%, and at night can go up by 30%.

When carrying out the rhinocytogram decoding, the norm in children of eosinophils before the age of 4 should be 0-7, and in children older than 4 years, the indicators for adults are taken into account. The rest of the analysis depends on the age of the child, so the doctor should decipher the results.

Decoding of indicators

In order to determine the main cause of a prolonged non-passing rhinitis, the quantitative ratio between the cells is counted during the sequencing. When analyzing the rhinocytogram (decoding), normal in children of white blood cells should be in the field of vision up to several units. With the course of the infectious process and inflammation, their amount rises sharply.

In the norm of neutrophils should be 1-3%. In the presence of a bacterial type of common cold, frontal sinusitis, or sinusitis, their number increases dramatically, in proportion to the intensity and complexity of the course of the inflammatory process. This is manifested in the appearance of thick discharge from the nose of yellow or green. Initially, a viral infection can be complicated by a bacterial infection, which is why the amount of neutrophils can increase simultaneously with lymphocytes.

Decoding (in norm) rhinocytograms in children suggests that lymphocytes should not exceed 5%. A sharp increase in the level of lymphocytes may indicate the presence of influenza, parainfluenza, adenovirus or any other viral infection. In addition, their number can also increase with a chronic cold.

The presence of more than 10% of eosinophils in the analysis indicates the presence in the body of pollinosis, or an allergic rhinitis. The amount of epithelium is not always taken into account in the study, but a significant amount of it indicates the inflammatory process taking place in the body.

When decoding the rhinocytogram in the norm, children should not have red blood cells. If they are available, we can talk about the course of the flu, since the erythrocytes in this case penetrate through the thin blood vessels into the nasal cavity.

The microflora is normally negative, but if it is present, then the type of causative agent is diagnosed. Disease-causing microorganisms can occur in bacterial rhinitis or viral rhinitis.

If the results are normal, and the runny nose does not pass

If the rhinocytogram is normal in children, and the runny nose does not go away for a long time, then this can be a sign:

• A vasomotor runny nose;
• Drug rhinitis;
• Another type of rhinitis.

Vasomotor runny nose can occur as a result of disruption of the vessels. It is observed mainly under stress and under the influence of cold air. Medicamentous rhinitis can begin as a result of prolonged use of vasoconstrictor drugs. In addition, the common cold can occur as a result of disruption of the endocrine or nervous system.

All these disorders require additional research and comprehensive treatment.