Different modalities in the management of post-COVID-19 olfactory
dysfunction.
Abstract
Objectives: to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment
options for post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction. Design:
This is a retrospective cohort study. Setting:
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Participants: 120 patients between January 2020 and
December 2022 with post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction (anosmia or
hyposmia). Main outcome measures: Initial smell scores
and on weeks 1,2,3,4 of treatment regimens. Results:
43.3% of patients were males and 56.6% were females aged from 18 to 62
years (median age was 38.5 years). 38 patients (36.3%) were
hospitalized while 82 patients (68.3%) managed at home. There was a
significant difference in the average time for complete recovery in
group B was 25.7 ± 9.20 days and group C was 24.8± 6.67 days and group D
was 23.5± 7.13 days compared to 28.97 ± 4.29 days in control group A
(P = 0.02*). There is no significant association between
age, sex, place of management, severity of COVID-19 illness, obesity,
and the duration of COVID-19 illness with smell scores and the duration
of anosmia/hyposmia but there was a highly significant association with
diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and asthma
(P-Value=<0.001***).
Conclusion: This study suggests that combining the usage
of topical mometasone furoate or topical vitamin A or intranasal
theophylline with olfactory training shortens the duration of
post-COVID- 19 anosmia/hyposmia but offers no superiority regarding
smell scores over olfactory training alone after 4 weeks.