Association of Anosmia and Positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR Test Results Among Patients in the Quezon City General Hospital

AbstractObjective: To determine the association of anosmia and positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR test results among patients in a tertiary government hospital in Metro Manila.Methods: Design: Cross-SectionalStudy Setting: Tertiary Government Training HospitalParticipants: Patients aged 18 years old and above who consulted or were admitted with COVID-19 symptoms at the Quezon City General Hospital in the Philippines from July to September 2020 answered an offline version of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery AAO-HNS COVID-19 Anosmia Reporting Tool prior to undergoing (COVID-19) RT-PCR testing.Results: Out of 172 participants, 63 (36.6%) presented with anosmia. Sixty (95.2%) out of 63 of those with anosmia had a positive COVID-19 RT-PCR test result. Forty-one (65%) participants reported anosmia as the first symptom while the most common associated symptoms were fever (59%), cough (50%), and rhinorrhea (31%). There was a significant association between anosmia and positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR tests (X2 =33.85, df=1, pConclusion: Anosmia was associated with a positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR test in more than 95% of those who reported the symptom. Anosmia should be considered as a red flag sign which should be included in the screening of persons suspected of being infected with COVID-19 to help mitigate further spread of the virus.Keywords: anosmia; olfactory dysfunction; loss of sense of smell; coronavirus; SARS-CoV-2; pandemic; 2019-NCoV; COVID-19

Association of anosmia and positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR Test results among patients in the Quezon City General Hospital

Objective@#To determine the association of anosmia and positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR test results among patients in a tertiary government hospital in Metro Manila.@*Methods@#Design: Cross-Sectional Study. Setting: Tertiary Government Hospital. Participants: Patients aged 18 years old and above who consulted or were admitted with COVID-19 symptoms at the Quezon City General Hospital in the Philippines from July to September 2020 answered an offline version of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery AAO-HNS COVID-19 Anosmia Reporting Tool prior to undergoing (COVID-19) RT-PCR testing.@*Results@#Out of 172 participants, 63 (36.6%) presented with anosmia. Sixty (95.2%) out of 63 of those with anosmia had a positive COVID-19 RT-PCR test result. Forty-one (65%) participants reported anosmia as the first symptom while the most common associated symptoms were fever (59%), cough (50%), and rhinorrhea (31%). There was a significant association between anosmia and positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR tests (X2 =33.85, df=1, p<.0001). @*Conclusion@#Anosmia was associated with a positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR test in more than 95% of those who reported the symptom. Anosmia should be considered as a red flag sign which should be included in the screening of persons suspected of being infected with COVID-19 to help mitigate further spread of the virus.

Abordaje integral en la rehabilitación funcional del olfato y del gusto desde un enfoque fonoaudiológico / Recovering the sense of taste and smell as a result of opperational therapy integration -speech-pathology-based approach / Abordagem integral na reabilitação funcional do olfato e do paladar a partir de um enfoque fonoaudiologico

Introducción: teniendo en cuenta la ontogenia y la antropología del olfato y del gusto del individuo, la Rehabilitación Fonoaudiológica del Olfato y Gustose ha encarado desde un punto de vista funcional y de integración de ambos sentidos, mediante la Estimulación Integral Multisensorial, teniendo en cuentatanto la vía retro como la ortonasal. Objetivo: Demostrar los resultados obtenidos con el uso de la rehabilitación fonoaudiológica del olfato y gusto, mediante la estimulación integral multisensorial. Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo observacional longitudinal de junio a octubre de 2015 de 7 casos (2 hombres y 5 mujeres) diagnosticados pormédico otorrinolaringólogo especialista en olfato y gusto del Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín. Se tomó una historia clínica detallada, se administró el Test de Connecticut, pre y pos rehabilitación y se aplicó el Protocolo de Rehabilitación para pacientes con Trastornos de Olfato y Gusto. Resultados: En cuanto a la evaluación objetiva, 4 de los 7 pacientes pasaron de anosmia a hiposmia severa. Un sujeto evolucionó de hiposmia moderada a leve después de rehabilitación fonoaudiológica exclusiva. Dos pacientes no lograron salir de la anosmia. Uno de ellos presentó cambios subjetivos luego de un mes de tratamiento que, debido a un cuadro de vías aéreas superiores, desaparecieron. Conclusiones: 5 de los 7 pacientes mostraron resultados positivos al tratamiento, lo que demostraría que la estimulación de la vía retro y ortonasal en conjunto con la Estimulación Integral Multisensorial, llevaría a progresos significativos.

Introduction: considering Ontogeny and anthropological aspects of the individual’s sense of smell and taste, Speech Therapy is addressed by means of multi-sensory integration of orto-nasal and retronasal ways, in which both senses are operationally integrated. Objectives: Demostrate the results obtained using Speech Therapy of smell and taste, through integrated multisensory stimulation. Methods and materials: Descriptive observational longitudinal study of seven cases analyzed from June to October, 2015. Two men and five women were diagnosed by an otorhinolaryngologist specializing in smell and taste disorders. The patients’ medical history,was used for the purposes of this study. The Connecticut Test and “El Protocolo de Rehabilitaciónpara Pacientes con Trastornos de Olfato y Gusto” (“Examination Protocol for Patients Diagnosed with Smell and Taste Disorders”) were applied. Results: After applying the tests, four out of seven patients who suffered from anosmia, were eventually diagnosed with severe hyposmia. One subject developed with mild hyposmia after receiving Speech Therapy exclusively. Two patients were not able to recover from anosmia. In one of them, subjective improvements were observed after one month of treatment; however they completely dissappeared later, due to an upper respiratory tract inffection. Conclusions: Improvements were observed in five of the cases analyzed thanks to the treatment administered. Thus, the combination of retro-nasal and orto-nasal ways stimulation and multi-sensory integration is supposed to significantly improve the well-being of patients diagnosed with anosmia.

Introdução: tendo em conta a ontogenia e a antropologia do olfato e do paladar do indivíduo, a Reabilitação Fonoaudiológica do Olfato e do Paladar foi desenvolvida a partir de um ponto funcional e da interação de ambos os sentidos, por meio de Estimulação Integral Multissensorial, tomando-se em conta tanto a via retro como a ortonasal. Objetivo: Demonstrar resultados usando a reabilitação fonoaudiológica de olfato e paladar , através da estimulação multisensorial integrado. Materiais e métodos: Estudo longitudinal descritivo observacional de junho a outubro de 2015 de sete casos (dois homens e cinco mulheres) diagnosticados por médico Otorrinolaringologista especialista em olfato e paladar do Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín. A partir de uma história clínica detalhada, foi administrado o Teste Connecticut, pré e pós-reabilitação e aplicado o Protocolo de Reabilitação para pacientes com Transtornos de Olfato e Paladar. Resultados: Em relação à avaliação objetiva, quatro dos sete pacientes passaram de anosmia à hiposmia severa. Um paciente evoluiu de hiposmia moderada à leve depois da reabilitação fonoaudiológica exclusiva. Dois pacientes não conseguiram sair da anosmia. Um deles apresentou mudanças subjetivas depois de um mês de tratamento, mas devido a um quadro de vias aéreas superiores, as mudanças desapareceram. Conclusão: Cinco de sete pacientes mostraram resultados positivos ao tratamento, o que demonstraria que a estimulação da via aérea retro e ortonasal em conjunto com a Estimulação Integral Multissensorial, poderia levar a progressos significativos.

Neonatal responsiveness to the odor of amniotic fluid / Respuesta neonatal frente al olor del líquido amniótico

This study evaluated the neonatal responsiveness to the odor of amniotic fluid during the first hours of life. Twenty five newborn infants born by C-section at 36-40 weeks of gestation were evaluated with 1; 5 or 25 drops of amniotic fluid at 1 hour, 3.5 hours and 6 hours of life. A five stimuli habituation plan was used and global motor activity was recorded. Mixed-design ANOVAs for repeated measures demonstrated time differences and showed the highest reactivity at 1 hour, a reduction at 3.5 hours and a recovery at 6 hours (p < 0.0000). Maximum response was observed at the beginning, with a subsequent reduction (p < 0.0088). T tests were used to compare mean differences from baseline to the stimulation period. It was observed that one drop was enough to trigger a response, even at 6 hours of life (p = 0.045). Apparently, babies are able to detect minimum amounts of amniotic fluid and habituate the response with repeated exposure during their first hours of life.

En este trabajo se evaluó la respuesta neonatal al olor del líquido amniótico durante las primeras horas de vida. Veinticinco recién nacidos por cesárea entre las 36 y 40 semanas gestacionales fueron evaluados con 1; 5 o 25 gotas a la hora, a las tres horas y media, y a las seis horas de vida. Se utilizó un esquema habituacional de cinco estímulos y se registró la actividad motora global. Los ANOVA mixtos para medidas repetidas reflejaron las diferencias en los tiempos y mostraron la mayor reactividad en la primera hora, la disminución de ésta a las tres horas y media, y la recuperación a la sexta hora (p <0,0000). La máxima respuesta se observaba al comienzo y luego disminuía (p <0,0088). Con las pruebas T se compararon las medias entre el basal previo y el período de estimulación. Pudo observarse que una gota era suficiente para generar una respuesta, aun a la sexta hora de vida (p = 0,045). Aparentemente, durante las primeras horas los bebés pueden detectar mínimas cantidades de líquido amniótico y habitúan su respuesta con la exposición repetida.