Olfactory training in the treatment of patients with acute rhinosinusitis and dysosmia

Introduction. Acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) is one of the most common diseases in outpatient practice, with olfactory impairment reaching up to 35%.

Aim. To study the effectiveness of olfactory training in patients with ARS and olfactory impairment.

Materials and methods. A prospective observational study included 30 patients (mean age 29.5 ± 9.3 years) with ARS combined with dysosmia and a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients were divided into groups: Group 1 consisted of 46.7% with anosmia, Group 2 included 53.3% with hyposmia. Patients were treated according to the standard scheme in accordance with the Clinical Guidelines of the Russian Federation. Additionally, olfactory training was performed on the ReviSmell hardware and software complex using virtual reality technology. To monitor the effectiveness of olfactory training, the SST-12 test and SNOT-22 survey were used on the 14th day, on the 1st and 3rd month.

Results and discussion. In Group 1, by the 3rd month of the study, 42.9% of patients restored the olfactory function to hyposmia levels, 50.0% of patients completely restored the olfactory function. In Group 2, normosmia levels were achieved in 81.3% of cases. According to SST-12, the most pronounced dynamics were in Group 1 patients by the 14th day after olfactory training (p = 0.020), in Group 2 patients, a pronounced increase in the average total SST-12 score was recorded by the 3rd month of observation (p < 0.001). The positive result of olfactory training naturally affected the improvement in the quality of life of patients (p < 0.001) according to the SNOT-22 questionnaire in both study groups.

Conclusions. Olfactory training in patients with ARS combined with dysosmia and a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection showed a significant improvement in olfactory function, taking into account the initial degree of its impairment.

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