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Objectives: Since its first appearance in Wuhan December 2019, SARS-CoV2 virus received great attention due to its severe symptoms and high spread causing COVID-19 disease which spread all over the world like a pandemic. The causative virus is capable of human-to-human transmission via droplet and direct contact suggesting that upper respiratory tract is the main site to virus manifestations. There is a great diversity in its clinical picture, although the severe respiratory and neurological symptoms are commonly present;however, other symptoms are present. Although otological manifestations are reported in many COVID-19 patients even in asymptomatic cases, they did not receive much attention compared with other critical manifestations. In this article, we paid our attention specifically to the otological manifestations of COVID-19 and their relevance either to the virus infection, treatment, or vaccination through literature review. Conclusion(s): COVID-19 disease has a deleterious effect on the inner ear. This effect is not only due to SARS-Cov-2 infection, but it could be also due to the ototoxic drugs used for treatment. The COVID-19 vaccinations are found to be implicated in the otological symptoms in some cases.Copyright © 2022, The Author(s).
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Introduction: The aim of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the incidence and natural course of otorhinolaryngological symptoms of COVID-19 infection and its relations to each other and patient's demographics. Method(s): This is a prospective study conducted on symptomatic adult patients proven to be infected with COVID-19. Detailed history was taken from each patient including onset of symptoms. Symptoms were followed up tightly. We focus on otorhinolaryngological (ORL) symptoms and their duration and onset in relation to other symptoms. Data were collected and analyzed in detail. Result(s): Six-hundred eighty-six patients were included in the study, their age ranged from 19-75 years old, and of them 55.1% were males. Cough was found in 53.1% of cases followed by sore throat in 45.8%, anosmia/ hyposmia in 42.3%, headache in 42%, rhinorrhea in 19.5%, dry mouth in 7.6%, globus in 6.1%, epistaxis in 4.4%, and hearing loss in 0.6%. In non-ORL symptoms, fever was found in 54.2%, malaise in 55.1%, dyspnea in 49.3%, and diarrhea in 27.2%. The first symptom was anosmia in 15.7% of cases, sore throat in 6.1 %, cough in 7.9%, and headache in 13.4% of cases. Fever was the first symptom in 22.7%, malaise in 25.1%, and diarrhea in 6.4%. Headache occurred for 5.5 +/- 2 days, anosmia/hyposmia 3 to > 30 days, sore throat 4.1 +/- 1.2 days, rhinorrhea 4.3 +/- 1.1, cough 7.4 +/- 2.5 days, fever 4.7 +/- 2 days, and malaise 6.5 +/- 2.4 days. The cluster of COVID-19-related symptoms showed nine principal components. Conclusion(s): Otorhinolaryngological symptoms are main symptoms in COVID-19 infection, and they should be frequently evaluated to detect suspected cases especially in pauci-symptomatic patients and to properly manage infected patients.Copyright © 2022, The Author(s).
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Background: Tonsillitis is a common public health problem seen by otorhinolaryngology surgeons. It has socio-occupational and economic impact. Most of the tonsillitis is treated by antibiotic but some can lead to life threatening complication if not treated on time and not diagnosed the impending complication. Aim and Objectives: The objective of this work was to study the epidemiological and complications profile of acute and chronic tonsillitis and their distribution, followed by final outcome of the treatment adopted in the ANIIMS Portblair, ENT Department. Material(s) and Method(s): This is a retrospective study over a 12-month period from September 2020 to Aug 2021 including 225 patients who presented with tonsillitis and/or their complications were analysed. Their demography, clinical findings, types of tonsillitis, month wise distribution of types of disease and final outcome after medical treatment was analyzed. Result(s): Two hundred and twenty five (225) patients were studied. The mean +/- SD of cases studied was 23.32 +/- 12.98 years with minimum - maximum age range was 02 - 60 years. In this study there were 92/225 (40.9%) males and 133/225 (59.1%) females with a male to female ratio of 1:1.44. 76.88% of the patients showed a good outcome, 14.22% showed a moderate outcome, 07.55% showed an average outcome and 00.88% showed poor outcome. 19/ 225 (08.44%) of the patients who showed poor and average response were advised tonsillectomy after the COVID-19 pandemic in this study. Conclusion(s): Chronic Tonsillitis was a common throat disorder observed during COVID-19 pandemic. Males were more commonly affected. The increased attendance of patient's throat complaints was high due to awareness and similarity of symptoms of tonsillitis and COVID-19 disease. Low socio economic groups were more affected. The common types of tonsillitis were parenchymatous type, follicular type. Complications due to acute infection frequently observed were peritonsillar abscess, neck abscess. Medical treatment with Amoxycillin and clavulinic acid combination was highly responsive with 76.88% responding well.Copyright © 2023, Dr Yashwant Research Labs Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Objectives: The aim was to identify relevant patient reported outcome (PRO) instruments used to screen for patients with symptoms of COVID-19 and measure their treatment outcomes in clinical and epidemiological studies. Methods: A literature search was conducted to identify PRO symptom instruments developed to screen patients and/or monitor treatment outcomes of COVID-19. The searches were conducted in early May 2021 using ePROVIDE, PubMed Medline, and grey literature search using a generic search engine. The following key words were used: COVID-19, symptom diary, symptom instrument and results were limited to the past two years. Results from the literature review were combined and compared against a recently published qualitative interview study with patients recovering from COVID-19 (Rofail et al, MAD-ID 2021) to evaluate conceptual overlap among diaries and patient-reported concepts. Results: Seven acute COVID-19 diaries and one post COVID-19 symptom/functioning scale were identified from the targeted literature search. Symptoms present across all diaries and reported in the qualitative study included: cough, diarrhea, dyspnea/difficulty breathing, sore throat, myalgia/muscle pain, fever, loss of smell, fatigue, vomiting, headache, loss of taste, loss of appetite/anorexia,nausea, runny nose/stuffy nose. Somewhat frequently reported symptoms captured by at least three diaries and the qualitative study included: abdominal/stomach pain, chills/feeling cold, chest pain, chest discomfort/pressure/tightness, sneezing, sputum, vision disorders/conjunctivitis, constipation, dizziness, epigastric soreness, head congestion, sinus pressure, skin lesions, sweating, tachycardia/heart palpitations and teary or watery eyes. Symptoms that were only reported in the qualitative study included: body ache, back pain, earache, mental fatigue/sleepiness, skin rash, swollen glands, and not feeling like oneself. Conclusions: There are a number of common symptoms similarities across the diaries that were frequently reported in qualitative research. However, there were several discrepancies across diaries for included and excluded symptom concepts. More research is needed to identify symptoms of COVID-19 that matter most to patients.
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BACKGROUND: Manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 in ENT include sore throat, rhinorrhoea, anosmia and dysgeusia. Whether coronavirus disease 2019 causes otitis media is not known. OBJECTIVE: To assess the presence of otitis media in a series of patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 and ENT symptoms. METHODS: The study included patients with coronavirus disease 2019, confirmed on polymerase chain reaction assay, who had otological (e.g. otalgia, otorrhoea, hearing loss) or other ENT (e.g. anosmia, dysgeusia) manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019, in two tertiary referral hospitals in Iran. Patients were excluded if they had a background of otological problems including previous acute otitis media, chronic otitis media, otological surgery, and trauma or radiotherapy to the head and neck. RESULTS: Otitis media was found in eight patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and no background of otological problems. Six patients had middle-ear effusion, three had typical signs of acute otitis media, and one had a tympanic membrane perforation. Most patients had hearing loss; conductive hearing loss and mild sensorineural hearing loss at high frequencies were the underlying mechanisms. CONCLUSION: Otitis media should be considered a manifestation or associated symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 during the current pandemic.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/complications , Otitis Media/etiology , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Otitis Media/diagnosis , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The current study showed the relation between otitis externa and COVID-19 infection and compared otitis externa with other symptoms of COVID-19 as anosmia. METHODS: 257 cases who were confirmed positive for COVID-19, were examined otoscopic and endoscopic for otitis externa, onset of starting symptoms of otitis externa and its relation to days of infection with COVID-19 were documented and the prevalence of otitis externa with anosmia in the study group were estimated. RESULTS: Increased incidence of otitis externa in COVID-19 patients (18% of study group) and symptoms starting mainly between the 5th to 8th day of COVID-19 infection. Combined otitis externa and anosmia occurred in 13% of study group. CONCLUSIONS: Otitis externa has a relation to COVID-19 infection. Further research needed to study its pathogenesis and mechanisms.