Olfactory Dysfunction, Dysgeusia, and Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients: An Observational Study in a Tertiary COVID Referral Center in the Philippines

Autor: Chantel Jacqueline Tirol, Philip Fullante
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Philippine Journal of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Vol 39, Iss 2 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1908-4889
2094-1501
DOI: 10.32412/pjohns.v39i2.2119
Popis: Objective: To describe the prevalence, onset, associated symptoms, and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in-patients with olfactory and gustatory dysfunction at the Philippine General Hospital from March 2021 to January 2022 and determine the number of patients with olfactory dysfunction/dysgeusia who recovered or expired. Methods: Design: Prospective Cohort Study Setting: COVID-19 Referral Hospital (Tertiary National University Hospital) Participants: COVID-19 RT-PCR positive in-patients, ages 19 and older Results: A total of 207 patients were included. Sixty-four (64) patients reported olfactory dysfunction and 79 reported dysgeusia. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction were observed early in the course of infection, before day 6 of illness. The average length of hospital stay was 20.36 days; those with olfactory dysfunction stayed for 17.53 days, dysgeusia for 19.92 days, and 21.09 days for those who noted neither. For those subsequently intubated, 0 had olfactory dysfunction, three reported dysgeusia, three had both and six had neither. Thirteen (13) patients in the study expired. Among them, none reported olfactory dysfunction and two had dysgeusia. Conclusions: Our results corroborate existing literature that olfactory and gustatory dysfunction as key indicators of COVID-19 with 42.5% of participants reporting these symptoms early, often before day 6 of illness. Ninety-two percent (92%) of those affected recovered and had shorter hospital stays, emphasizing the importance of recognizing these dysfunctions for improved disease detection and outcomes.
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