Materials and Methods

A survey was set up by the Norwich Clinical Trials Unit in conjunction with Fifth Sense and was designed by the authors (clinician and 2 patients with olfactory dysfunction). This was the uploaded on to the RedCap server at the Norwich Clinical Trials Unit and a secure link was then circulated to members of Fifth Sense via e-mail as part of the PPI in the proposed trial application. The questions were designed to be applicable to PIOD sufferers in the UK and beyond. The survey was live for 2 months at the beginning of 2019. No ethical approval was required as this was conducted via the charity’s membership and with no direct recruitment by the clinician involved.

Eligibility criteria:

The survey was sent out to members of Fifth Sense who had identified themselves on joining the charity as having suffered olfactory dysfunction following an upper respiratory tract infection. Responses were screened to remove anyone not identifying with PIOD and also to document co-existing sinonasal disorders including chronic rhinosinusitis, allergic rhinitis and nasal septal deviation which would be considered exclusion criteria in any subsequent trial.

Survey Questions:

Only the questions that did not refer specifically to involvement in a clinical trial are listed here.
  1. Do you have a reduced sense of smell because of a bad cold/infection you suffered? If no, you can stop the survey here.
  2. Did you suffer the cold/infection … less than 5 years ago? more than 5 years ago?
  3. Have you suffered from smell distortions (parosmia) or smell hallucinations (phantosmia)?
  4. Have you received any treatment to date?
  5. What treatment did you receive?
  6. Do you have any of the following problems?
  7. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with or without nasal polyps?
  8. Allergic rhinitis (hayfever)?
  9. Severe deviation of the nasal septum?
  10. I am using nasal medications at the moment
  11. Do you have any comments about smell loss due to a bad cold?
  12. If you are willing, please tell us your age

Analysis:

Given the nature of the study, no formal statistical analysis was undertaken; rather a descriptive narrative of the survey findings is presented including representative comments left by some patients.