Background:Olfactory dysfunction(OD)is a common symptom of Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19).It is defined as the reduced or distorted ability to smell during sniffing(orthonasal olfaction)and represents one of the ...Background:Olfactory dysfunction(OD)is a common symptom of Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19).It is defined as the reduced or distorted ability to smell during sniffing(orthonasal olfaction)and represents one of the early symptoms in the clinical course of COVID-19 infection.A large online questionnaire-based survey has shown that some post-COVID-19 patients had no improvement 1 month after discharge from the hospital.Objective:To explore the efficacy of acupuncture for OD in COVID-19 infected patients and to determine whether acupuncture could have benefits over sham acupuncture for OD in post-COVID-19 patients.Methods:This is a single-blind,randomized controlled,cross-over trial.We plan to recruit 40 post-COVID-19 patients with smell loss or smell distortions lasting for more than 1 month.Qualified patients will be randomly allocated to the intervention group(real acupuncture)or the control group(sham acupuncture)at a 1:1 ratio.Each patient will receive 8 sessions of treatment over 4 weeks(Cycle 1)and a 2-week follow-up.After the follow-up,the control group will be subjected to real acupuncture for another 4 weeks(Cycle 2),and the real acupuncture group will undergo the 4-week sham acupuncture.The primary outcomes will be the score changes on the questionnaire of olfactory functioning and olfaction-related quality of life at week 6,8,12,and 14 from the baseline.The secondary outcomes will be the changes in the olfactory test score at week 6 and 12 from the baseline measured by using the Traditional Chinese version of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test(UPSIT-TC).Discussion:The results of this trial will help to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for OD in post-COVID-19 patients.This may provide a new treatment option for patients.展开更多
Background:The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to spread rapidly across the globe af-flicting many with Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19).As the infection rates rise,a growing number of SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals hav...Background:The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to spread rapidly across the globe af-flicting many with Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19).As the infection rates rise,a growing number of SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals have been reported to complain of olfactory distur-bances at an alarming rate.Postviral olfactory dysfunction(PVOD)is a well-known phenome-non that may explain the olfactory dysfunction reported by SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals.Methods:A scoping literature review was performed to identify studies that investigated the mechanisms of postviral olfactory dysfunction.Studies demonstrating pathophysiological,his-tological,immunochemical,and epidemiological outcomes of PVOD were included.Results:Fourteen studies were included in addition to one international news article.Three studies reported destruction of the olfactory epithelium following intranasal inoculation of various viral strains in mice.Three studies isolated pathogenic,anosmia inciting viruses(Para-influenza virus,Human Coronavirus,Rhinovirus)through nucleic acid amplification.Eleven studies demonstrated female predilection in patients with PVOD and COVID-19 associated ol-factory dysfunction,of which the majority were over 50 years old.Conclusions:PVOD and COVID-19 associated olfactory dysfunction demonstrates considerable similarities in epidemiological trends and disease sequela of other viruses to suggest identical pathophysiological mechanisms.Further studies such as intranasal inoculation and histological biopsies are needed to support our hypothesis.展开更多
基金jointly-supported by Hong Kong Baptist University(SCM-2020-001)Haven of Hope-The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre(Sai Kung District)Tseung Kwan O Hospital of Hospital Authority,Hong Kong,China,on expenses and equipment.
文摘Background:Olfactory dysfunction(OD)is a common symptom of Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19).It is defined as the reduced or distorted ability to smell during sniffing(orthonasal olfaction)and represents one of the early symptoms in the clinical course of COVID-19 infection.A large online questionnaire-based survey has shown that some post-COVID-19 patients had no improvement 1 month after discharge from the hospital.Objective:To explore the efficacy of acupuncture for OD in COVID-19 infected patients and to determine whether acupuncture could have benefits over sham acupuncture for OD in post-COVID-19 patients.Methods:This is a single-blind,randomized controlled,cross-over trial.We plan to recruit 40 post-COVID-19 patients with smell loss or smell distortions lasting for more than 1 month.Qualified patients will be randomly allocated to the intervention group(real acupuncture)or the control group(sham acupuncture)at a 1:1 ratio.Each patient will receive 8 sessions of treatment over 4 weeks(Cycle 1)and a 2-week follow-up.After the follow-up,the control group will be subjected to real acupuncture for another 4 weeks(Cycle 2),and the real acupuncture group will undergo the 4-week sham acupuncture.The primary outcomes will be the score changes on the questionnaire of olfactory functioning and olfaction-related quality of life at week 6,8,12,and 14 from the baseline.The secondary outcomes will be the changes in the olfactory test score at week 6 and 12 from the baseline measured by using the Traditional Chinese version of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test(UPSIT-TC).Discussion:The results of this trial will help to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for OD in post-COVID-19 patients.This may provide a new treatment option for patients.
文摘Background:The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to spread rapidly across the globe af-flicting many with Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19).As the infection rates rise,a growing number of SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals have been reported to complain of olfactory distur-bances at an alarming rate.Postviral olfactory dysfunction(PVOD)is a well-known phenome-non that may explain the olfactory dysfunction reported by SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals.Methods:A scoping literature review was performed to identify studies that investigated the mechanisms of postviral olfactory dysfunction.Studies demonstrating pathophysiological,his-tological,immunochemical,and epidemiological outcomes of PVOD were included.Results:Fourteen studies were included in addition to one international news article.Three studies reported destruction of the olfactory epithelium following intranasal inoculation of various viral strains in mice.Three studies isolated pathogenic,anosmia inciting viruses(Para-influenza virus,Human Coronavirus,Rhinovirus)through nucleic acid amplification.Eleven studies demonstrated female predilection in patients with PVOD and COVID-19 associated ol-factory dysfunction,of which the majority were over 50 years old.Conclusions:PVOD and COVID-19 associated olfactory dysfunction demonstrates considerable similarities in epidemiological trends and disease sequela of other viruses to suggest identical pathophysiological mechanisms.Further studies such as intranasal inoculation and histological biopsies are needed to support our hypothesis.