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. 2025 Mar 18;17(3):e80772.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.80772. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Evaluating the Efficacy of a Multidisciplinary Approach to Chronic Pharyngitis Treatment: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis

Oguz Guvenmez  1 , Huseyin Keskin  2 , Anara Keneshovna Zhanbaeva  3
Affiliations

Evaluating the Efficacy of a Multidisciplinary Approach to Chronic Pharyngitis Treatment: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis

Oguz Guvenmez et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background: Chronic pharyngitis (CP) presents a significant burden on patients' quality of life (QoL), often requiring comprehensive management strategies beyond conventional treatment modalities. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a multidisciplinary approach to CP treatment and its impact on patients' QoL.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 140 patients diagnosed with CP who were treated at the ENT outpatient clinic of Private Mersin Su Hospital, Mersin, Türkiye, between January 1, 2022, and January 1, 2023. Our treatment approach integrated dietary modifications, management of gastroesophageal reflux, nasal obstruction correction, and allergy management alongside standard pharmacotherapy. The primary outcome measure was the improvement in the Sore Throat QoL Scale (STQoL) scores, assessed at baseline, 30, 60, and 90 days post treatment.

Results: The study population consisted of 140 chronic pharyngitis patients, including 82 male (58.57%) and 58 female (41.43%) patients, with a mean age of 42.2 ± 6.3 years. Laboratory tests revealed that 115 patients (82.14%) had iron deficiency with a mean serum level of 61.2 mg/dL (reference range: 70-180 mg/dL), while 109 patients (77.85%) had low ferritin levels (mean 55.3 mcg/L; reference range: 50-150 mcg/L). In addition, 98 patients (70.00%) showed vitamin B12 deficiency, averaging 223.6 pg/mL (reference range: 350-900 pg/mL), 128 patients (91.42%) had vitamin D deficiency, with a mean value of 29.3 ng/mL (reference range: 40-100 ng/mL), and 68 patients (48.57%) demonstrated folic acid deficiency, with an average of 6.9 ng/mL (reference range: 6-17 ng/mL). Moreover, elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were observed in 59 patients (42.14%) (mean 6.1%, target: 4-5.6%), and 45 patients (32.14%) had high serum total immunoglobulin E (mean 95.4 mg/dL; normal range: 20-100 mg/dL). Patient-reported outcomes using the STQoL improved markedly from a baseline score of 22.2 ± 3.2 to 57.9 ± 8.2 on day 30, 77.1 ± 13.6 on day 60, and 93.5 ± 17.3 on day 90 (all comparisons p < 0.05), indicating significant enhancement in QoL over the treatment period.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that a multidisciplinary approach to CP treatment, addressing both the symptoms and the underlying causes, significantly improves patients' QoL. This study underscores the importance of adopting comprehensive, patient-centered treatment strategies in managing chronic pharyngitis, warranting further research into optimizing care for this common condition.

Keywords: chronic pharyngitis; comprehensive treatment strategy; multidisciplinary approach; quality of life; sore throat quality of life scale.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. University of Niğde Ömer Halisdemir Ethical Committee issued approval 05/04/2023-342305. The study protocol and all associated procedures were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Private Mersin Su Hospital (dated 05/01/2023), ensuring compliance with ethical standards and patient safety considerations. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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