@article{ref1,
title="Hazardous events associated with impaired olfactory function",
journal="Archives of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery",
year="2004",
author="Santos, Daniel V. and Reiter, Evan R. and DiNardo, Laurence J. and Costanzo, Richard M.",
volume="130",
number="3",
pages="317-319",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of olfactory-related hazardous events in patients with impaired olfactory function. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A university-based clinic for smell and taste disorders. PATIENTS: A total of 445 patients who underwent olfactory testing between 1983 and 2001. INTERVENTIONS: Patient interview, olfactory testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Frequency of olfactory-related hazardous events including cooking incidents (ie, burning pots or pans), undetected fires, undetected gas leaks, and ingestion of spoiled foods or toxic substances; (2) level of olfactory function (anosmia; severe, moderate, or mild hyposmia; or normosmia) as determined by olfactory testing. RESULTS: Olfactory testing revealed that 76% of patients had some degree of impairment; 30% had complete anosmia. Thirty-seven percent of patients with olfactory impairment but only 19% of patients without impairment experienced at least 1 olfactory-related hazardous event. Of the hazardous events reported by impaired patients, cooking-related incidents were most common, representing 45%, with ingestion of spoiled food (25%), inability to detect a gas leak (23%), and inability to smell a fire (7%) reported less frequently. There was a significant correlation between frequency of hazardous events and degree of olfactory impairment (Cochran-Armitage trend test, P<.001): at least 1 hazardous event was reported by 45.2% of patients with anosmia, 34.1% with severe hyposmia, 32.8% with moderate hyposmia, 24.2% with mild hyposmia, and 19.0% of patients with with normal olfaction by testing. CONCLUSION: Patients with impaired olfactory function are more likely to experience olfactory-related hazardous events than those with normal olfactory function.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0886-4470",
doi="10.1001/archotol.130.3.317",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archotol.130.3.317"
}