• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

information for practice

news, new scholarship & more from around the world


advanced search
  • gary.holden@nyu.edu
  • @ Info4Practice
  • Archive
  • About
  • Help
  • Browse Key Journals
  • RSS Feeds

Treating heavy smokers in primary care with the nicotine nasal spray: randomized placebo-controlled trial

Abstract

Aims  Of 6 established NRT formulations, only the gum and patch have been tested without specialist clinic support in placebo controlled trials. We aimed to broaden the evidence base by examining if the nicotine nasal spray (NNS) could be effective with only brief support in general practice.

Design  Randomized placebo-controlled trial

Setting  27 English general practices

Participants  761 heavy smokers received brief support and 12 weeks of treatment with NNS (506) or placebo (255).

Measurements  The primary outcome was biochemically verified complete abstinence from smoking throughout weeks 3 to 12.

Findings  NNS compared with placebo more than doubled the number who successfully stopped smoking (15.4% vs 6.7%, odds ratio = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.5 to 4.4). Many participants reported minor irritant adverse symptoms. NNS was particularly effective among those who were more highly dependent on nicotine (OR = 6.17, 95% CI = 2.13 to 17.9). Of those who failed to stop during the first week (417, 54.8%), only 1 (0.2%) achieved later success.

Conclusions  NNS is effective when given in primary care. The benefit was lower than in a specialist clinic but similar to that with the nicotine patch in primary care. Unlike most other NRT formulations, bupropion or varenicline, NNS was especially helpful for more dependent smokers. Continuing treatment of those initially failing was not beneficial. An initial 1-week prescription to those more dependent on nicotine is likely to be the most cost-effective NNS treatment protocol. These results should offer support to the effectiveness of the other NRT formulations untested in this setting.

Posted in: Journal Article Abstracts on 11/04/2010 | Link to this post on IFP |
Share

Primary Sidebar

Categories

Category RSS Feeds

  • Calls & Consultations
  • Clinical Trials
  • Funding
  • Grey Literature
  • Guidelines Plus
  • History
  • Infographics
  • Journal Article Abstracts
  • Meta-analyses - Systematic Reviews
  • Monographs & Edited Collections
  • News
  • Open Access Journal Articles
  • Podcasts
  • Video

© 1993-2023 Dr. Gary Holden. All rights reserved.

gary.holden@nyu.edu
@Info4Practice