Clinical significance of smell and taste dysfunction and other related factors in COVID-19.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to evaluate smell and taste dysfunction (STD) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive and negative patients, and to assess the factors associated with STD in COVID-19 positive patients. METHODS: Patients who had been tested with the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for COVID-19 were identified, and according to the RT-PCR test results, patients were separated into Positive and Negative Groups. A telephone-based assessment was applied to both groups using the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Anosmia Reporting Tool. Patients in Positive Group were also asked to rate STD, nasal breathing, and anxiety in three different time periods (pre-/during-/post-COVID) using the visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: A total of 53 COVID-19 positive and 51 negative patients completed the surveys. STD was eightfold more frequent (OR 8.19; CI 95% 3.22-20.84) in the Positive Group. Of the 53 COVID-19 positive patients, 32 reported STD and 21 did not. 'Ground-glass appearance' on chest-computed tomography was more frequent and median lymphocyte count was significantly lower in COVID-19 positive patients with STD. During-COVID STD and nasal breathing VAS scores were significantly lower than the pre- and post-COVID scores. During-COVID STD scores were significantly correlated with anxiety scores (Spearman's rho-0.404, p = 0.022) but not correlated with nasal breathing scores. CONCLUSION: STD may be related to increased inflammatory response as well as damage of olfactory neuronal pathway or non-neuronal olfactory mucosa. Understanding the exact cause of chemosensory impairment in COVID-19 can be helpful in explaining the pathophysiology of the disease.

[Short communication: use of cefoxitin disc diffusion method for the detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates]. / Kisa bildiri: Staphylococcus aureus klinik izolatlarinda metisilin direncinin tespiti için sefoksitin disk difüzyon yönteminin kullanimi.

The aim of this study was to compare the cefoxitin disc diffusion method with oxacillin broth microdilution and agar screening methods for the detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The presence of PBP2a in 94 S. aureus clinical isolates were screened by latex agglutination MRSA-Screen test (Oxoid Ltd, UK), and 64 (68%) of the strains were found positive. Cefoxitin disc diffusion method and oxacillin broth microdilution and agar screening methods were performed in the guidance of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) proposals. All of the 64 PBP2a positive isolates were found resistant, and 30 PBP2a negative isolates were detected as susceptible to oxacillin by both of the broth microdilution and agar screening methods. In cefoxitin disc diffusion method, zone diameters of 62 isolates were measured as 0-14 mm, while two isolates gave 15-17 mm and 30 isolates gave 220 mm zone diameters. According to the CLSI proposals, 64 isolates were accepted as oxacillin-resistant in view of their cefoxitin zone diameters. As a result, the sensitivity and specificity of cefoxitin disc diffusion method was detected as 100%, when comparing with both gold standard (PBP2a presence) method and oxacillin broth microdilution and agar screening methods, indicating that it is a reliable test to investigate oxacillin resistance of clinical S. aureus isolates in routine laboratories where molecular tests could not be performed due to economical reasons.