Haseki Tıp Bülteni (Nov 2022)

Relationship Between Smell Disorders and Pulmonary Involvement in COVID-19

  • Dogan Cakan,
  • Semih Usaklioglu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4274/haseki.galenos.2022.8651
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 60, no. 5
pp. 433 – 438

Abstract

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Aim:Some symptoms of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) are more common in patients without pulmonary involvement and in patients with a good prognosis. Although it is known that smelling disorders are more common in patients with a good prognosis, their relationship with pulmonary involvement is unknown. This study ianvestigated the relationship between smell disorders and pulmonary involvement in COVID-19.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted between May 2022 and July 2022 and included 60 COVID-19 patients with pulmonary involvement and 60 COVID-19 patients without pulmonary involvement. Phone-call interviews were performed with all patients 1 month after the diagnosis of COVID-19 and their sense of smell was questioned with a questionnaire. The prevalence of smell disorders, type and severity of smell disorders were questioned, and participants were asked to grade their answers from 0 to 10.Results:In 58 (48.3%) of the patients, smell disorders were found to be present. Hyposmia was detected in 35 (60.34%), and anosmia was detected in 23 (39.66%) of these patients. Smell disorder was present in 20 (33.3%) patients with pulmonary involvement and in 38 (63.3%) patients without pulmonary involvement. The prevalence of smell disorders was significantly higher in patients without pulmonary involvement (p=0.001). Hyposmia in 15 patients (25%) and anosmia in 5 patients (8.3%) were found in patients with pulmonary involvement. Hyposmia in 20 patients (33.3%) and anosmia in 5 patients (8.3%) were found in patients without pulmonary involvement. The prevalence of anosmia was significantly higher in patients without pulmonary involvement (p=0.003). The smell disorders were significantly more severe in patients without pulmonary involvement (p=0.042).Conclusion:Smell disorders are seen more frequently and more severely in patients without pulmonary involvement due to COVID-19 than in patients with pulmonary involvement.

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