ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Electrogustometry is an accurate and increasingly popular method used to examine taste. However, its usefulness as a screening test is unknown. METHODS: We asked 114 subjects, some healthy but most with medical conditions possibly affecting taste, to rate their overall taste ability, on a scale of zero to 10. Those who had current symptoms related to taste- and who rated their taste as five or worse - were defined as 'aberrant tasters'. We recorded automated electrogustometry thresholds, and visual analogue scale intensity ratings, for solutions of the four basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty and bitter). A visual analogue scale score of 50 was used as a cut-off point to identify 'poor tasters'. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of electrogustometry in identifying abnormal taste function were low. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that automated electrogustometry is not a useful clinical screening method for taste disturbance in a population such as ours.
Subject(s)
Electrodiagnosis/methods , Taste Disorders/diagnosis , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Caffeine , Citric Acid , Female , Humans , Male , Mass Screening/methods , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Sensory Thresholds , Sodium Chloride , Sucrose , Taste Disorders/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Pregnancy rhinitis is a common condition with longstanding nasal congestion; troublesome for the mother, possibly also affecting the fetus. There is need for a safe, effective treatment. Nasal corticosteroids, indisputable in other types of rhinitis, have not been evaluated in pregnancy rhinitis. In this placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study with parallel groups, we evaluated the effect of 8 weeks of treatment with fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray in 53 women with pregnancy rhinitis. Daily symptom scores and nasal peak expiratory flow, as well as acoustic rhinometry before and after treatment, did not show any difference between the groups. Placebo resulted in 6/27 responders, compared with 5/26 for active treatment. There was no detectable influence on maternal cortisol as measured by morning S-cortisol and overnight 12-h-U-cortisol, or any difference in ultrasound measures of fetal growth or pregnancy outcome. Altogether, our study indicates no significant effects of the treatment described here.
Subject(s)
Androstadienes/administration & dosage , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage , Pregnancy Complications/drug therapy , Rhinitis/drug therapy , Administration, Intranasal , Adolescent , Adult , Double-Blind Method , Female , Fluticasone , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications/diagnosis , Probability , Reference Values , Rhinitis/diagnosis , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Using the saccharin method, we performed tests of mucociliary function four times during pregnancy and once one month after delivery in 27 women. As the transport distance for saccharin varied from 37 to 65 mm, we used the transport speed for evaluation. Pregnancy rhinitis affects at least 20% of pregnancies. The mucociliary transport speed was higher in the group of women with pregnancy rhinitis, and was reduced during pregnancy in the group of women without that condition. We found no significant correlation between mucociliary transport speed and objectively registered nasal peak expiratory flow index. The pathophysiology of pregnancy rhinitis is not known, but is possibly multifactorial. The changes occurring in the nasal mucociliary transport system during normal pregnancy and in pregnancy rhinitis need further studies.
