Persistent otorhinolaryngological symptoms in patients following COVID-19 infection

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/jkmc.v11i1.45489

Keywords:

Coronavirus disease 2019, Persistent otorhinolaryngological symptoms, Tinnitus

Abstract

Background: Patients having coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may have persistent symptoms even after weeks or months of recovery. Although there are several studies on persistence of general symptoms, research primarily focussing on post COVID otorhinological symptoms are scarce.
Objective: The aim of study was to assess the persistent otorhinolaryngological symptoms among the patients within a period of three months of recovery from COVID -19 infection.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out in the ENT OPD of Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital Nepal from July 2021 to September 2021. Ninety-one consecutive patients who recovered from COVID-19 were evaluated. The frequency of otorhinolaryngological manifestations at the time of presentation and during the active COVID-19 illness were interpreted and classified as nasal, aural, and throat symptoms.
Results: The commonest persistent nasal symptoms were the nasal obstruction in 15 out of 43 patients during COVID (15/43, 34.88 %), followed by nasal discharge (2/12, 16.66%), loss of smell (12/73, 16.43%), and frontal headache (8/40, 20%). Twenty patients had persistent aural symptoms and all of them had tinnitus (8/8, 100%) followed by earache (4/7, 57.14%), hearing loss (3/6, 50%) and dizziness (4/14, 28.57%). Thirty-four patients had persistent throat symptoms. The most common was sore throat (23/49, 46.93%) followed by itching (4/13, 30.76%), hoarseness (3/25, 12%), and dry cough (3/52, 5.7%).
Conclusion: Many ENT OPD patients had variable nasal, aural, and throat complaints at the time of infection which was still persisting in majority of them within three months of recovery from COVID-19.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
180
PDF
135

References

Savtale S, Hippargekar P, Bhise S, Kothule S. Prevalence of otorhinolaryngological symptoms in COVID-19 Patients. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021 Feb 8;1-7. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Krajewska J, Krajewski W, Zub K, Zato?ski T. COVID-19 in otolaryngologist practice: A review of current knowledge. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Jul;277(7):1885-97. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Lechien JR, Chiesa-Estomba CM, De Siati DR, Horoi M, Le Bon SD, Rodriguez A, et al. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as a clinical presentation of mild-to-moderate forms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A multicentre European study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Aug;277(8):2251-61. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Bhatta S, Gandhi S, Saindani SJ, Ganesuni D, Ghanpur AD. Otorhinolaryngological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019: A prospective review of 600 patients. J Laryngol Otol. 2021 Mar;135(3):206- 11. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Borah H, Das S, Goswami A. Otorhinolaryngological manifestations and its management in COVID-19 patients. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021 Feb 17;1-4.[PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Grag K, Shubhanshu K. Effect of COVID-19 in otorhinolaryngology practice: A review. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020 Aug 18;1-4. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Smitha S, Pillai N, Nayak B, Raveendran J. A study on otorhinolaryngological presentations in COVID-19 patients in a tertiary health care centre. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021 Apr 27;1-6. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Goërtz Y, Van Herck M, Delbressine JM, Vaes AW, Meys R, Machado FVC, et al. Persistent symptoms 3 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection: The postCOVID-19 syndrome? ERJ Open Res. 2020 Oct 26;6(4):00542-2020. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Salamanna F, Veronesi F, Martini L, Landini MP, Fini M. Post-COVID-19 syndrome: The persistent symptoms at the post-viral stage of the disease. A systematic review of the current data. Front Med(Lausanne). 2021 May 4;8:653516. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Carfì A, Bernabei R, Landi F, Gemelli Against COVID-19 post-acute care study group. Persistent symptoms in patients after acute COVID-19. JAMA. 2020 Aug 11;324(6):603-5. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Hassan SA, Sheikh FN, Jamal S, Ezeh JK, Akhtar A. Coronavirus (COVID-19): A review of clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment. Cureus. 2020;12(3):e7355. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

El-Anwar MW, Elzayat S, Fouad YA. ENT manifestation in COVID-19 patients. Auris Nasus Larynx 2020 Aug;47:559-64 [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, Ren L, Zhao J, Hu Y, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet 2020; 395:497- 506. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Passali GC, Bentivoglio AR. Comment to the article “Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as a clinical presentation of mild-to-moderate forms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A multicentre European study”. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Aug;227(8):2391-2. [PubMed]

| Full Text | DOI]

Hoffmann M, Kleine-Weber H, Schroeder S, Kruger N, Herrler T, Erichsen S, et al. SARS-CoV-2 cell entry depends on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and is blocked by a clinically proven protease inhibitor. Cell. 2020 Apr 16;181(2):271-80.e8. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Almufarrij I, Munro KJ. One year on: An updated systematic review of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and audio-vestibular symptoms. Int J Audiol. 2021 Dec;60(12):935-45. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Chirakkal P, Al Hail AN, Zada N, Vijayakumar DS. COVID-19 and tinnitus. Ear Nose Throat J. 2021 Apr;100(2_suppl):160S–162S. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

National institute for health and care excellence (NICE) COVID-19 rapid guideline: Managing the long-term effects of COVID-19. [(accessed on 28 April 2021)]

; Available online: https://www.nice. org.uk/guidance/ng188/resources/covid19-rapidguideline-managing-thelongterm-effects-ofcovid19-pdf-66142028400325.[PubMed | Full Text]

Beukes E, Ulep AJ, Eubank T, Manchaiah V. The impact of COVID-19 and the pandemic on tinnitus: A systematic review. J Clin Med. 2021 Jun 23;10(13):2763. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Mahmoud MM, Abuohashish HM, Khairy DA, Bugshan AS, Khan AM, Moothedath MM. Pathogenesis of dysgeusia in COVID-19 patients: A scoping review. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2021 Jan;25(2):1114-34. [PubMed | Full Text | DOI]

Zahran M, Ghazy R, Ahmed O, Youssef A. Atypical otolaryngologic manifestations of COVID-19: A review. Egypt J Otolaryngol. 2021 Jan 21;37(1):5. [Full Text | DOI]

Downloads

Published

2022-06-06

How to Cite

Regmi, D., & Manandhar, N. (2022). Persistent otorhinolaryngological symptoms in patients following COVID-19 infection. Journal of Kathmandu Medical College, 11(1), 20–26. https://doi.org/10.3126/jkmc.v11i1.45489

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles