Back to Search Start Over

Olfactory and gustatory function impairment in COVID ‐19 patients: Italian objective multicenter‐study

Authors :
Angelo Antonio Maglio
Pierluigi De Riu
Antonello Serra
Federico Biglioli
Francesco Bussu
Luigi Angelo Vaira
Giordano Madeddu
Sergio Babudieri
Giacomo De Riu
Andrea Melis
Giovanna Deiana
Marzia Petrocelli
Vito Fiore
Nicola Turra
Marco Cucurullo
Mario Ferrari
Laura Gagliardini
Claire Hopkins
Sara Canu
Francesco Antonio Salzano
Giovanni Salzano
Carlotta Pipolo
Alessandro G. Fois
Pietro Pirina
Andrea De Vito
Source :
Head & Neck
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
Wiley, 2020.

Abstract

Background Objective data on chemosensitive disorders during COVID‐19 are lacking in the Literature. Methods Multicenter cohort study that involved four Italian hospitals. Three hundred and forty‐five COVID‐19 patients underwent objective chemosensitive evaluation. Results Chemosensitive disorders self‐reported by 256 patients (74.2%) but the 30.1% of the 89 patients who did not report dysfunctions proved objectively hyposmic. Twenty‐five percentage of patients were seen serious long‐lasting complaints. All asymptomatic patients had a slight lowering of the olfactory threshold. No significant correlations were found between the presence and severity of chemosensitive disorders and the severity of the clinical course. On the contrary, there is a significant correlation between the duration of the olfactory and gustatory symptoms and the development of severe COVID‐19. Conclusions Patients under‐report the frequency of chemosensitive disorders. Contrary to recent reports, such objective testing refutes the proposal that the presence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction may predict a milder course, but instead suggests that those with more severe disease neglect such symptoms in the setting of severe respiratory disease.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
10970347 and 10433074
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Head & Neck
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....2d2a3e16324167cdf3884538a8eb9ed1
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1002/hed.26269