Short- and long term hyposmia, hypogeusia, dysphagia and dysphonia after facial burn injury - A prospective matched cohort study

Inessa Beck; Christian Tapking; Valentin Haug; Steffen Nolte; Arne Böcker; Christian Stoppe; Ulrich Kneser; Christoph Hirche; Gabriel Hundeshagen

doi:10.1016/j.burns.2022.04.008

Short- and long term hyposmia, hypogeusia, dysphagia and dysphonia after facial burn injury - A prospective matched cohort study

Burns. 2023 Mar;49(2):380-387. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2022.04.008. Epub 2022 Apr 22.

Authors

Inessa Beck¹, Christian Tapking¹, Valentin Haug¹, Steffen Nolte², Arne Böcker¹, Christian Stoppe³, Ulrich Kneser¹, Christoph Hirche⁴, Gabriel Hundeshagen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
² Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, Germany; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Armed Forces Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
³ Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
⁴ Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, Germany; Department of Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery, Hand Trauma and Replantation Center, BG Unfallklinik Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
⁵ Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, University of Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, Germany. Electronic address: gabriel.hundeshagen@bgu-ludwigshafen.de.

PMID: 35525769
DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2022.04.008

Abstract

Background: Facial burns frequently occur in occupational or household accidents. While dysphagia and dysphonia are known sequelae, little is known about impaired smell and taste after facial burns.

Methods: In a prospective observational controlled study, we evaluated hyposmia via the Sniffin' Stick Test (SnS), hypogeusia via a taste strip test, and dysphonia and dysphagia via validated questionnaires acutely and one-year after burn, respectively. A matched control group consisting of a convenience sample of healthy volunteers underwent the same assessments.

Results: Fifty-five facial burn patients (FB) and 55 healthy controls (CTR) were enrolled. Mean burn size was 11 (IQR: 29) % total body surface area (TBSA); CTR and FB were comparable regarding age, sex and smoking status. Acutely, hyposmia was present in 29% of the FB group (CTR: 9%, p = 0.014) and burn patients scored worse on the SnS than CTR (FB: 10; CTR: 11; IQR: 2; p = 0.013). Hyposmia per SnS correlated with subjective self-assessment. Hyposmia and SnS scores improved over time (FB acute: 10.5 IQR: 2; FB one year: 11; IQR: 2; p = 0.042) and returned to normal at one-year post burn in most patients who completed the study (lost to follow-up: 21 patients). Taste strip scores were comparable between FB and CTR, as was the acute prevalence of dysphagia and dysphonia.

Conclusion: Hyposmia acutely after facial thermal trauma appeared frequently in this study, especially when complicated by inhalation trauma or large TBSA involvement. Of all complete assessments, a fraction of burn patients retained hyposmia after one year while most improved over time to normal. Prevalence of dysphonia, dysphagia and hypogeusia was comparable to healthy controls in this study, perhaps due to overall minor burn severity.

Keywords: Complications of burn injury; Dysphagia; Dysphonia; Facial burns; Hyposmia; Short and long term sequelae of burn injury; hypogeusia.

Publication types

Observational Study

MeSH terms

Ageusia* / complications
Anosmia / complications
Burns* / complications
Cohort Studies
Deglutition Disorders*
Dysphonia*
Facial Injuries* / complications
Humans
Neck Injuries* / complications
Prospective Studies