Testing for anosmia and ageusia in patients presenting to the emergency department with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 in Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study investigated the role of objective olfactory dysfunction (OD) and gustatory dysfunction (GD) testing among patients with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who presented with respiratory symptoms.

Methods

A prospective, blinded, observational study was conducted in the emergency units of two tertiary hospitals. Participants were asked to identify scents in the pocket smell test (PST) and flavors in four different solutions in the gustatory dysfunction test (GDT). We assessed the level of agreement between objective findings and self-reported symptoms. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of chemosensory dysfunction for diagnosing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Results

Of 250 participants, 74 (29.

SUBMITTER: Kentab OY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9083050 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature