Xerostomia, gustatory and olfactory dysfunctions in patients with COVID-19

doi:10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102721

. 2020 Nov-Dec;41(6):102721.

doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102721. Epub 2020 Sep 10.

Xerostomia, gustatory and olfactory dysfunctions in patients with COVID-19

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
² Department of Emergency Medicine, Umberto I Polyclinic Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
³ Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
⁴ Centro Oncologico ad Alta Tecnologia Diagnostica, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale - IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
⁵ Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiological and Cardiological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
⁶ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: umberto.romeo@uniroma1.it.
⁷ Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

PMID: 32977063
PMCID: PMC7482593
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102721

Xerostomia, gustatory and olfactory dysfunctions in patients with COVID-19

Paolo J Fantozzi et al. Am J Otolaryngol. 2020 Nov-Dec.

. 2020 Nov-Dec;41(6):102721.

doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102721. Epub 2020 Sep 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
² Department of Emergency Medicine, Umberto I Polyclinic Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
³ Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
⁴ Centro Oncologico ad Alta Tecnologia Diagnostica, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale - IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
⁵ Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiological and Cardiological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
⁶ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: umberto.romeo@uniroma1.it.
⁷ Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

PMID: 32977063
PMCID: PMC7482593
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102721

Abstract

Background: The novel Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) continues to have profound effect on global health. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence and characterize specific symptoms associated with COVID-19.

Methods: This retrospective study included 326 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection evaluated at the Emergency Department of the Umberto I Polyclinic Hospital, Rome, Italy between March 6th and April 30th, 2020. In order to assess xerostomia, olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions secondary to COVID-19, a telephone-based a modified survey obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014 for taste and smell disorders and the Fox Questionnaire for dry mouth were administered to 111 patients (34%) after discharge between June 4th and June 12th.

Results: Taste dysfunction was the most common reported symptom (59.5%; n = 66), followed by xerostomia (45.9%; n = 51) and olfactory dysfunctions (41.4%; n = 46). The most severe symptom was olfactory dysfunction with a median severity score of 8.5 (range: 5-10). Overall 74.5% (n = 38) of patients with xerostomia, 78.8% (n = 52) of patients with gustatory dysfunctions and 71.1% (n = 33) of patients with olfactory dysfunctions reported that all symptoms appeared before COVID-19 diagnosis. Overall, the majority of patients reported one symptom only (45.9%, n = 51), 37 (33.3%) reported the association of two symptoms, and 23 (20.7%) patients reported the association of three symptoms at the same time.

Conclusion: Xerostomia, gustatory and olfactory dysfunctions may present as a prodromal or as the sole manifestation of COVID-19. Awareness is fundamental to identify COVID-19 patients at an early stage of the disease and limit the spread of the virus.

Keywords: Anosmia; COVID-19; Dysgeusia; Oral diseases; Oral medicine; Public health; Xerostomia.

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References

1. COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) n.d. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html (accessed June 1, 2020).
1. Hartley D.M., Perencevich E.N. Public health interventions for COVID-19: emerging evidence and implications for an evolving public health crisis. JAMA. 2020;323:1908–1909. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.5910. - DOI - PubMed
1. Richardson S., Hirsch J.S., Narasimhan M., Crawford J.M., McGinn T., Davidson K.W. Presenting characteristics, comorbidities, and outcomes among 5700 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the New York City area. JAMA. 2020;323:2052–2059. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.6775. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Zayet S., Klopfenstein T., Mercier J., Kadiane-Oussou N.J., Lan Cheong Wah L., Royer P.-Y. Contribution of anosmia and dysgeusia for diagnostic of COVID-19 in outpatients. Infection. 2020 doi: 10.1007/s15010-020-01442-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Lechien J.R., Chiesa-Estomba C.M., De Siati D.R., Horoi M., Le Bon S.D., Rodriguez A. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as a clinical presentation of mild-to-moderate forms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a multicenter European study. Eur Arch Oto-Rhino-Laryngol. 2020 doi: 10.1007/s00405-020-05965-1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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[1] COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) n.d. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html (accessed June 1, 2020).

[2] COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) n.d. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html (accessed June 1, 2020).

[3] Hartley D.M., Perencevich E.N. Public health interventions for COVID-19: emerging evidence and implications for an evolving public health crisis. JAMA. 2020;323:1908–1909. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.5910. - DOI - PubMed

[4] Hartley D.M., Perencevich E.N. Public health interventions for COVID-19: emerging evidence and implications for an evolving public health crisis. JAMA. 2020;323:1908–1909. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.5910. - DOI - PubMed

[5] Richardson S., Hirsch J.S., Narasimhan M., Crawford J.M., McGinn T., Davidson K.W. Presenting characteristics, comorbidities, and outcomes among 5700 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the New York City area. JAMA. 2020;323:2052–2059. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.6775. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[6] Richardson S., Hirsch J.S., Narasimhan M., Crawford J.M., McGinn T., Davidson K.W. Presenting characteristics, comorbidities, and outcomes among 5700 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the New York City area. JAMA. 2020;323:2052–2059. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.6775. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[7] Zayet S., Klopfenstein T., Mercier J., Kadiane-Oussou N.J., Lan Cheong Wah L., Royer P.-Y. Contribution of anosmia and dysgeusia for diagnostic of COVID-19 in outpatients. Infection. 2020 doi: 10.1007/s15010-020-01442-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Zayet S., Klopfenstein T., Mercier J., Kadiane-Oussou N.J., Lan Cheong Wah L., Royer P.-Y. Contribution of anosmia and dysgeusia for diagnostic of COVID-19 in outpatients. Infection. 2020 doi: 10.1007/s15010-020-01442-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Lechien J.R., Chiesa-Estomba C.M., De Siati D.R., Horoi M., Le Bon S.D., Rodriguez A. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as a clinical presentation of mild-to-moderate forms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a multicenter European study. Eur Arch Oto-Rhino-Laryngol. 2020 doi: 10.1007/s00405-020-05965-1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Lechien J.R., Chiesa-Estomba C.M., De Siati D.R., Horoi M., Le Bon S.D., Rodriguez A. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as a clinical presentation of mild-to-moderate forms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a multicenter European study. Eur Arch Oto-Rhino-Laryngol. 2020 doi: 10.1007/s00405-020-05965-1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Xerostomia, gustatory and olfactory dysfunctions in patients with COVID-19

Affiliations

Xerostomia, gustatory and olfactory dysfunctions in patients with COVID-19

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