ENT Referral From Emergency Department During COVID-19: A Single-Center Experience.

PURPOSE: COVID-19 pandemic transformed the health system response worldwide. The aim of this study is to report changes about numbers and reason for ENT consultations in emergency department (ED) during COVID-19 pandemic comparing with those occurred the previous year (2019). METHODS: Data about patients admitted to adult and pediatric ED were collected from March 1 to May 31, 2019 and 2020. Patients referred for urgency from general practitioners were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Global ED admission (except for dyspnea or COVID-19-related symptoms) dramatically decreased during pandemic (-50.9% among adults and -71.4% among pediatrics). At the same time, ENT consultancy significantly reduced too, by 71.5% (P < .01) among adults and 45.1% (P < .01) for pediatrics. Among adults, it was reported a statistically significant decrease in consultation for ear problems (-88.5%, P = .0146). Reduction in ENT referral for bone fracture (-40%, P = .059), vertigo (-77.8%, P = .637), and tonsillitis (-87.5%, P = .688) was consistent, but not significant. Among pediatric patients, it was observed an increase by 25% about foreign bodies (12 vs 15, P < .01). A reduction in numbers of consults for ear problem (-90.8%; P = .045), epistaxis (-80%; P = .196), and nasal fracture (-70%; P = .36) was also observed. CONCLUSION: Fear of infection and the forced lock down caused a significant decrease in the number of ED accesses and in ENT consultancy. These data may suggest that some ED referral usually could be deferred, but on the other hand, pandemic will cause a great diagnostic delay.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Olfactory Perception of the Same Stimuli.

BACKGROUND: Data in the literature report that a number of studies have attempted to identify the exact location of the cortical olfaction representation, searching for evidence suggesting that sniffing odors can initiate a primary activation of the piriform cortex and the insula. Nowadays, due to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) outbreak, the functional study of the olfactory system could offer a better understanding of the physiopathology of olfactory perception, elucidating better the possible site(s) of damage induced by the COVID-19 infection. The aim of this paper was to evaluate brain maps generated from functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data, collected from healthy individuals in response to the same olfactory stimulus. METHODS: A total of 45 healthy volunteers, without history and/or no clinical signs of sinonasal disease and without history and/or presence of olfactory dysfunction underwent fMRI assessment. Subjects were presented with the same odorous stimuli at specific intervals. fMRI generated brain maps were used in the identification of different cortical areas, involved in the stimuli perception. RESULTS: The fMRI brain maps showed that odorous stimuli activate primarily the left anterior insula (in 35/45 cases or 77.8%). Other activated areas include: the low temporal gyri, the middle and superior temporal gyri, the frontal and piriform cortex, the anterior cingulate gyrus, the parahippocampal gyrus, the temporopolar area, the para-insular area, the subcentral area, the supramarginal gyrus, the occipital cortex and the cerebellum. CONCLUSIONS: fMRI resulted as a safe and reliable means to study the perception of olfaction in the cortex. The data of this study suggest that the anterior insula is the main stimulated area when olfactory stimuli are present. This area is always activated, despite the hand and nostril dominance.