Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33987699›Full record

ArticleEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2022

Retronasal olfactory testing in early diagnosed and suspected COVID-19 patients: a 7-week follow-up study.

Bernhard Prem, David Tianxiang Liu, Gerold Besser, Bertold Renner, Christian Albert Mueller

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Factors Associated With Persisting Olfactory Dysfunction After COVID-19.Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Prevalence and Factors Associated with Olfactory Dysfunction in Individuals with COVID-19 in Brazil: A Study of 20,669 Cases from 2020 to 2021.Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre · 2024
    Article
  5. Olfactory Function and Olfactory Disorders.Laryngo- rhino- otologie · 2023
    Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Bernhard PremDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Vienna General Hospital, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
David Tianxiang LiuDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Vienna General Hospital, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Gerold BesserDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Vienna General Hospital, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Bertold RennerInstitute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Christian Albert MuellerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Vienna General Hospital, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria. christian.a.mueller@meduniwien.ac.at.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6172-5417
Vienna General Hospital · ATFriedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg · DE

Funding

Stiftungsfonds zur Foerderung der Bekaempfung der Tuberkulose und anderer Lungenkrankheiten COVID030
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesOlfactory dysfunction (OD) constitutes a major symptom in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Yet, most data on smell loss rely on the evaluation of orthonasal olfactory performance. Therefore, we aimed to assess retronasal olfactory function (ROF) over a period of several weeks in proven and suspected COVID-19 patients.

methodsOne hundred and one subjects with suspected or laboratory-proven COVID-19 participated in this study. In patients with OD no longer than 4 weeks after initial symptom onset, ROF was measured with the 7-item Candy Smell Test ten times over 7 weeks.

resultsOlfactory function was decreased in the investigated patients and remained decreased over the course of 7 weeks. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed no significant difference of ROF between different measurement time points. However, self-assessment of smell and flavour improved significantly (p = 0.013 and p = 0.043), but did not show complete recovery.

conclusionThe current investigation revealed significant improvements in subjective smell and flavour perception over the course of 7 weeks in proven and suspected COVID-19 patients suffering from acute OD. However, objectively measured ROF based on a screening test revealed no improvements within the same time period.

Indexed as

COVID-19Olfaction DisordersFollow-Up StudiesHumansSARS-CoV-2SmellAnosmiaCOVID-19FlavorOlfactionRetronasal

Identifiers

PMID33987699
PMCPMC8118104
OpenAlexW3160225561

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.