Smell and Taste Impairment in COVID-19 Positive Pediatric Patients: A Prospective Cohort on Different Stages of The Disease

• Published in: Bagcilar Medical Bulletin 2022-09, Vol.7 (3), p.267-272
• Main Authors: Yazıcı, Zahide Mine, Sağlam, Neslihan, Akçay, Nihal, Menentoğlu, Bengisu, Hatioğlu, Nevin, Şevketoğlu, Esra, Sayın, İbrahim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asymptomatic; Body mass index; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Infections; Intensive care; Normal distribution; Olfaction disorders; olfactory impairment; Pandemics; Patients; Pediatrics; smell; Statistical analysis; Taste; Taste disorders
• ISSN: 2547-9431; 2547-9431
• DOI: 10.4274/BMB.galenos.2022.2022-06-056

Objective: To evaluate the smell and taste impairment in Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pediatric patients according to the disease severity. Method: Ninety polymerase chain reaction test-confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled from January 2021 to July 2021. Patients were categorized into three main groups according to the stage of disease (stage 1: Outpatients, stage 2: Inpatients, stage 3: Intensive care unit patients). There were 30 pediatric patients in each group. Subjects were evaluated with a questionnaire. Visual analog scale was used to evaluate smell and taste impairment patients. Results: The impairment of smell and taste were evaluated separately, and the rates were found to be 31.1% and 35.6%, respectively. The impairment of smell showed a statistically significant difference between the groups (p=0.002). The rate of smell impairment in the outpatients was found to be significantly higher than in the patients treated in the intensive care unit. The taste impairment did not show a statistically significant difference between the groups (p=0.109; p>0.01). Persistence of smell and taste impairment was found in 5.5% of the patients. Conclusion: The rate of smell impairment in the outpatients was found to be significantly higher than in the cases treated in the intensive care unit.