COVID-19 enfeksiyonu sonrası kalıcı koku alma işlev bozukluğu için koku eğitiminin uzun dönem sonuçlarının değerlendirilmesi
Sümeyra Doluoğlu1, Elif Kaya Çelik2, Mehmet Hakan Korkmaz3, Emel Çadallı Tatar1, Güleser Saylam1
1Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Ankara Etlik Şehir Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz Baş Ve Boyun Cerrahisi Kliniği, Ankara, Türkiye.
2Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa Üniversitesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz Baş Ve Boyun Cerrahisi Anabilim Dalı, Tokat, Türkiye.
3Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Ankara Diskapı Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz Baş Ve Boyun Cerrahisi Kliniği, Ankara, Türkiye.
Keywords: Anosmia, COVID-19, olfactory dysfunction, olfactory training, smell dysfunction.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of long-term olfactory training (OT) in patients with persistent olfactory dysfunction (OD) following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.
METHODS: The study included patients who developed OD after COVID-19 infection between March 2021 and January 2022. Following the initial examination, olfactory Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores were recorded before treatment and at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. Olfactory training was applied for a period of 12 months to all the patients diagnosed with persistent OD. The procedure was explained in a written document, and four intense smells (phenyl ethyl alcohol [rose], eucalyptol [eucalyptus], citronella [lemon], and eugenol [cloves]) in amber-colored jars were used. The OT scoring was interpreted as follows: 9-10 points, full recovery; 7-8 points, almost full recovery; 5-6 points, semi-recovery; 3-4 points, partial recovery; 1-2 points, no recovery. Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance was used to compare patients’ VAS scores, with post hoc analysis with Bonferroni correction.
RESULTS: Eighty-three patients (57 females, 26 males; mean age: 30.6±11.3 years; range, 17 to 62 years) were included in the analyses. The VAS score of all the patients was 0 before treatment. The mean VAS scores were 6.95±2.3 at three months, 7.59±2.13 at six months, and 7.96±1.97 at 12 months (p=0.0001). Full recovery of OD was obtained with OT in 41 (50%) patients, and one patient showed no recovery.
CONCLUSION: Long-term OT is an effective treatment for persistent OD that developed after COVID-19 infection.