ABSTRACT
Background An olfactory disorder is often described as a characteristic initial symptom in patients with COVID-19 infection. The long-term olfactory disorders after a COVID-19 infection have not yet been described in detail. The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term effects of COVID-19 infections on smelling. Methods Patients with persistent, subjective smell &/ taste disorders were examined by means of questionnaires, endoscopic examinations, as well as side-separated olfactory testing using sniffin- sticks (TDI) and taste testing. After initial presentation and initiation of olfactory training, structured controls were performed for 72 patients six, 12 and 18 weeks after initial consultation. Results On average, the patient presented seven months after the onset of symptoms. 70 % of the patients were female and in average patients were 40 years old. Parosmia was reported by 64 % of the patients at this point. An at least unilateral functional anosmia was observed in 24 % and at least unilateral hyposmia in 71 % of the patients. A difference of ≥ 5 points in TDI between the respective sides could be identified in 35 %. During the first (six weeks), second (12 weeks) and third (18 weeks) control 32 %, 9 % and 14 % of the patients showed an improvement in smell of ≥ 5 points in the TDI test using sniffing sticks, respectively. Discussion Persistence of an olfactory disorder in the sense of hyp-/anosmia and parosmia can occur in young, female patients after COVID-19 infection. A side difference in smell can occur due to certain individual anatomy and the entry of the virus. A small proportion of patients with persistent olfactory disorders show regeneration.
ABSTRACT
The majority of firework-related injuries in Germany are found at the turn of the year. With regard to hearing, a distinction is made between blast (BT) and explosion trauma (ET). The study examines the prevalence and characteristics of firework-related injuries over the past 11 years on New Year's Eve and compares these with the effects of the pyro ban 2020/21 imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A retrospective chart review of all patients who presented themselves with the diagnosis blast trauma (H 83.3) or explosion trauma (T 70.8) at the Charité emergency service in the last 11 years from December 28 to January 5 was performed. 267 patients were recorded (78 % male). 1/3 each were assigned to the age group 10-19 and 20-29 years. 21 % of the patients were admitted to the hospital. There was an isolated BT of the ear in 66 %, hand injuries in 12 %, head injuries in 8 % and eye injuries in 4 %. 87 % had ear involvement with hearing loss: 83 % with tinnitus, 5.6 % with ET. The tone audiograms of BT and ET show differences only at 6 kHz, but not at 4 kHz. 8.6 % of the patients underwent surgical interventions. The treatment of a tympanic membrane perforation was carried out by: 54 % splinting vs. 38 % tympanoplasty. Therapy with a glucocorticoid was administered i.v. in 48 % and initiated orally in 17 %. Overall, there was a decrease in injuries of almost 90 % in 2020/21 compared to 2017/18. The use of fireworks leads to increased utilization of health care resources. The ban on the sale of pyrotechnics as well as the introduction of pyro ban zones in 2020 led to a relevant decrease in injuries. 2020 was the only year in which there were no injuries in children / adolescents. The BT of the ear is the most common firework-related injury.
ABSTRACT
Aim The project aims to examine chemosensory dysfunction in long-COVID with a focus on olfactory function about 9 months after SARS-CoV-II-infection. Material and Methods In this population-based cross sectional study, PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 outpatients were examined between November and June 2020 at Kiel university hospital. Data on medical history and chemosensory function were collected via questionnaires and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), olfactory performance was psychophysically objectified using the Sniffin' Sticks test. Results A total of 376 female and 290 male patients were included with a mean age of 48.2 years ranging from 19 to 87 years. The mean follow-up was 9.09 months (range 1.64-15.18) after initial positive PCR-testing. The prevalence for olfactory dysfunction (OD) during infection was 66,1 %. 33,7 % of the subjects reported persistent OD subjectively at the time of examination (female 28,8 %, male 42,3 %). T-test analysis showed a significant decline of reported olfactory evaluation from before COVID-19 to the time of examination based on VAS (p < 0.001). 34,6 % of the subjects were tested hyposmic or anosmic by Sniffin' Sticks. A significant correlation was shown between a subjective estimation of OD by the patients and an objectively tested OD (p < 0.001). The TDI-score correlated positively with the amount of time (in months) that passed since PCR-testing (p < 0.001). Discussion OD in SARS-CoV-II-infection is frequent and can be persistent long beyond the acute phase of ilness. We demonstrated that anamnestic OD is significantly related to psychophysically tested OD. Therefore one can conclude that a subjective OD is a likely predictor of an actual objective OD. Furthermore, OD shows a tendency to improve over time.
ABSTRACT
Background This study aims to investigate the prevalence and long-term development of gustatory dysfunction (GD) after COVID-19. Methods In the population-based cross-sectional COVIDOM-study, 667 patients above the age of 18 years (mean 48.2) who tested positive for SARSCoV- 2 via PCR-testing on average 9.09 months ago were examined between November 2020 and June 2021. Extensive medical history taking was conducted via questionnaires. Participants were asked to rate their ability to taste before, during and after COVID-19 on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10. Whole mouth gustatory testing with Taste Strips for the qualities sweet, sour, salty, and bitter was performed. Results 60.9 % (406 of 667) participants reported gustatory impairment during their infection. Out of those, 56.9 % perceived this symptom as severe and 13.3 % noticed it as the earliest symptom. At the time of our examination, 36.2 % had a persistent subjective GD, defined as a lower score on the VAS than before COVID-19 (mean difference -0.9 points). This difference was significant (p < 0.001). In the testing, 7.3 % (47 of 667) participants had a GD, defined as the correct identification of less than three out of four Taste Strips. No signifi- cant correlation was found between subjectively persistent and tested GD (p = 0.250). Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 seems to frequently affect the gustatory function in the long term as well, what might have an influence on patients' everyday-life. However, Patients' own perception does not always correspond with psychophysiological testing which might be caused by the common difficulty to differentiate between the chemosensory senses of taste and smell.