Taste and Smell Impairment in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19: An Intensive Care Unit Study

• Published in: Ear, nose, & throat journal nose, & throat journal, 2021-04, Vol.100 (2_suppl), p.174S-179S
• Main Authors: Sayın, Pınar, Altınay, Mustafa, Cınar, Ayse Surhan, Ozdemir, Hacı Mustafa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ageusia - etiology; Ageusia - physiopathology; Anosmia - etiology; Anosmia - physiopathology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; COVID-19 - physiopathology; Critical care; Critical Illness; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Intensive care; Intensive Care Units; Length of Stay; Male; Middle Aged; Neurology; Olfaction disorders; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Smell; Surveys and Questionnaires; Taste
• ISSN: 0145-5613; 1942-7522
• DOI: 10.1177/0145561320977464

Objective: To determine taste and smell impairment rates in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who were hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Between March 2020 and May 2020, patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the ICU were enrolled in this study. Upon discharge, patients were telephoned and asked to complete a survey related to taste and smell impairment. Characteristics were compared between patients with and without taste and/or smell impairment. Results: Fifty-two patients were enrolled (mean age, 61.32 ± 12.53 years; mean ICU stay, 10.19 ± 10.24 days). Age, sex, type/number of comorbid diseases, most ICU support modalities, and ICU stay duration did not significantly differ between groups. Patients in group B required more high-flow nasal oxygen therapy than patients in group A (P = .010). In total, 22 (42.3%) of 52 patients experienced taste and/or smell impairment. Three patients experienced isolated smell impairment and one patient experienced isolated taste impairment. Among the 21 patients who experienced smell impairment, 18 (85.78%) experienced hyposmia (mean visual analog scale [VAS] score: 6.33 ± 0.97), while 3 (14.28%) experienced anosmia. Among the 19 patients who experienced taste impairment, 16 (84.22%) experienced hypogeusia (mean VAS score: 6.43 ± 1.03) and 3 (15.78%) experienced ageuisa. Among 22 patients who experienced taste and/or smell impairment, 15 (68.18%) patients (n = 15/22) experienced smell and/or taste impairment before the ICU stay, while 7 (31.82%) patients (n = 7/22) experienced impairment during the ICU stay. Overall, 28.84% (n = 15/52) of the patients experienced taste and/or smell impairment before the ICU stay. Conclusions: Patients who were hospitalized in the ICU experienced lower rates of taste and/or smell impairment. Some patients experienced taste and/or smell impairment during the ICU stay.