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Introduction: COVID‐19 is causing a wide range of clinical manifestations. Severe complications and long‐lasting sequelae have been identified. Thus, olfactory disorders are reported in up to 86% of cases in mild and moderate COVID‐19 infections. We present the first study comparing simple and complex post‐COVID‐19 cases with matched non‐COVID‐19 post‐infectious smell and taste disorders. Methods: A total of 328 patients were recruited from the University Clinic for Flavour, Balance and Sleep, Ear‐nose‐throat Department, Goedstrup Hospital, Denmark. A non‐COVID ‐19 post‐infectious population of 148 individuals was identified from the Redcap database, and was matched by duration of smell and taste disorders. Post‐COVID‐19 patients were divided into 99 patients with simple smell and taste disorders (only suffering from smell and taste disorders after COVID‐19); and (81 patients with complex smell and taste disorder plus several other post‐COVID‐19 complaints). Besides patient‐reported outcome measures (PROM) questionnaires and quality of life score (QoL), ear‐nose‐throat examination, Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), orthonasal smell test (Sniffing's sticks), retronasal quick test, and taste screening were performed. Results: Cases with post‐COVID‐19‐related smell and taste disorders deviated from non‐COVID‐19 post‐infectious cases; the patients were younger, had a lower occurrence of anosmia/ageusia, and had higher overall smell test scores. In contrast, patients with post‐COVID‐19‐related smell and taste disorders more frequently complained of distorted senses. Parosmia and phantosmia were more prevalent among patients with simple post‐COVID‐19 complaints than among complex cases and their QoL were more negatively affected. Conclusion: Smell and taste function differ significantly between post‐COVID‐19 and other non‐COVID‐19 post‐viral cases. Level of Evidence: 3Laryngoscope, 133:169–174, 2023 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives/hypothesis: The association between smoking and olfactory loss remains a conundrum. Prior studies have found negative and positive effects of smoking on olfactory function in the general population. However, smoking cessation seems to improve both rated and measured olfactory function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the olfactory function and smoking habits in patients with olfactory loss caused by different etiologies to unveil underlying patterns related to smoking.Study Design: Retrospective observational study.Methods: Patients were included from two specialized taste and smell centers. Patients underwent olfactory testing, clinical examination including rhinoscopy, and the underlying etiology was identified. Patterns of olfactory test scores, demographics, and etiologies were analyzed.Results: In total, 3,900 patients with olfactory loss were included. Of these, 521 were current smokers, and 316 were former smokers. Patients with a history of smoking did not have significantly lower olfactory function. Current smokers were more often affected by posttraumatic olfactory loss, but not sinonasal, postviral, or idiopathic olfactory loss.Conclusions: Current smoking, but not former smoking, was associated with posttraumatic olfactory loss. In relation to measured olfactory function, a history of smoking was not associated to lower olfactory scores. Our findings suggest that the general recommendations of smoking cessation for patients with olfactory loss are especially relevant for patients with posttraumatic olfactory loss. The nature of this association between current smoking and posttraumatic olfactory loss has yet to be elucidated.Level Of Evidence: 2b Laryngoscope, 131:E8-E13, 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The applicability of olfactory testing is dependent on cultural adaptation. The aim of this study was to validate the Sniffin' Sticks (Burghart Messtechnik, Wedel, Germany) threshold (T), discrimination (D), and identification (I) olfaction test. This data was subsequently used to investigate external validity of international normative values to separate hyposmia from normosmia.Methods: The study included 388 participants. The first step was a questionnaire study in which 238 adults rated their familiarity with 125 odor descriptors. In the second step, we evaluated the original Sniffin' Sticks (Burghart Messtechnik) in 75 participants. In the third step, we modified our odor descriptors and tested 75 participants with the new version.Results: In the I test, we found that 21 original odor descriptors were unfamiliar and that five odors had I rates < 75%. After modification, all odors had a successful I rate > 75%. By comparing the T, D, and I scores of previous validation studies, we found a significant variation in the scores between countries.Conclusion: The original Sniffin' Sticks (Burghart Messtechnik) was not applicable in Denmark. The modification resulted in improvement of familiarity and rate of I, making the test valid for use in Denmark. Furthermore, the study found a large variation in T and D scores between different countries, which should be considered when using these scores to separate hyposmia and anosmia from normosmia.Level Of Evidence: 2b. Laryngoscope, 1759-1766, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives/Hypothesis: To compare the clinical failure rates among children with otorrhea through tympanostomy tubes treated with topical or systemic antibiotics versus topical saline. Study Design: Randomized, double-blind, controlled patient study. Methods: A three-armed randomized clinical trial using topical ciprofloxacin or oral amoxicillin or topical saline. The primary outcome was treatment failure defined as presence of otorrhea in at least one ear after 7 days of treatment. Results: The treatment failure rates were 23% and 70% in the group treated with topical ciprofloxacin and oral amoxicillin, respectively. Treatment failures were seen in 58% of children treated with topical saline. Thus, topical ciprofloxacin significantly reduced treatment failures compared to both oral amoxicillin and topical saline. The most frequent bacteria isolated from treatment failures in general were streptococci and Moraxella catarrhalis. Conclusions: The significant effect of topical ciprofloxacin is probably related to a higher local concentration of antibiotics in the middle ear rather than the result of mechanical rinsing and dissolution of the bacterial load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The relationship among microorganisms, endotoxin, and inflammatory mediators in otitis media with effusion (OME) was examined. Study Design Analysis of 152 middle ear effusions aspirated at the time of ventilation tube insertion from children with OME. Methods Effusion samples were cultured for pathogenic bacteria. The two primary cytokines, interleukin-1β (IL1β) and tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), and the adhesion molecules, intercellular and vascular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1), were quantified using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Endotoxin concentration was measured with a limulus amebocyte lysate assay, and total protein concentration was quantified using the Biorad microassay. Results The cultures of pathogenic bacteria were positive in 33 of the 152 effusions (22%), which contained more endotoxin and more of the primary cytokines than the 119 culture-negative effusions. Endotoxin and the primary cytokines were positively correlated, both in the whole material and in the sterile effusions alone. The adhesion molecules were positively correlated with each other, but not with endotoxin or the primary cytokines. Conclusions We found a positive correlation between endotoxin and the primary cytokines TNFα and IL1β in culture-positive OME effusions as well as in culture-negative ones, suggesting endotoxin-induced local production of TNFα and IL1β in the middle ear. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were also present in the middle ear, but their concentrations were not directly correlated to endotoxin or the primary cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]