@article{Valderrama Cometa_Coronado Daza_Cueto Chaparro_Cano Marín_Tobón Reyes_2022, title={Anosmia as an initial manifestation of COVID-19 in hemodialysis patients}, volume={9}, url={https://revistanefrologia.org/index.php/rcn/article/view/594}, DOI={10.22265/acnef.9.2.594}, abstractNote={<p><strong>Background</strong>. Hemodialysis patients are susceptible population for COVID-19 the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, with early diagnosis being an urgent and needed because they are considered a population with high risk for severe and serious conditions.</p> <p><strong>Purpose</strong>. The objective of our study was to estimate whether sudden-onset anosmia allow to detect COVID-19 infection early in hemodialysis patients without classic symptoms (who did not present malaise, respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms at the beginning of the disease).</p> <p><strong>Methodology</strong>. A diagnostic test study was accomplished during the months of September and October 2020 in three hemodialysis units in Colombia. Adult patients without classic symptoms for COVID-19 were included. Patients with previous COVID-19 infection or with a history of smell alteration were excluded. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected, prior signature of informed consent endorsed by the ethics committee. Anosmia was evaluated with objective test for odor detection before the start of hemodialysis session.</p> <p><strong>Results</strong>. 587 patients were included. Anosmia prevalence was 0.85% (5 patients) and the incidence of COVID-19 was 1.19% (7 patients). There was no statistically difference in demographic, clinical, and laboratory comparison between patients with and without anosmia. The presence of anosmia had a sensitivity and a positive predictive value of 0%, but a specificity of 99.14% and a negative predictive value of 98.8%. The accuracy was 97.9%.</p> <p><strong>Conclusions</strong>. The prevalence of anosmia in our hemodialysis population was low. Any symptoms (including altered sense of smell) should be investigated in TRIAGE as a strategy to detect early individual cases of COVID-19 or an outbreak in hemodialysis units.</p> <p>Methods: a diagnostic test study was accomplished in three hemodialysis units in Colombia. Adult patients without classic symptoms for COVID-19 were included. Patients with previous COVID-19 infection or with a history of smell alteration were excluded. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. Anosmia was evaluated with objective test for odor detection before the start of hemodialysis session.</p> <p>Results: 587 patients were included. Anosmia prevalence was 0.85% (5 patients) and the incidence of COVID-19 was 1.19% (7 patients). There was no statistically difference in demographic, clinical, and laboratory comparison between patients with and without anosmia. The presence of anosmia had a sensitivity and a positive predictive value of 0%, but a specificity of 99.14% and a negative predictive value of 98.8%. The accuracy was 97.9%.</p> <p>Conclusion: Anosmia prevalence in hemodialysis population is low. Any symptoms should be investigated in the TRIAGE as a strategy to detect early individual cases of COVID-19 or outbreak in hemodialysis units.</p> <p>Keywords: Chronic Kidney Disease, Hemodialysis, Anosmia, COVID-19, Prevalence, pandemics</p>}, number={2}, journal={Revista Colombiana de Nefrología}, author={Valderrama Cometa, Luis and Coronado Daza, Jorge Antonio and Cueto Chaparro, Manuel and Cano Marín, Luis Alfonso and Tobón Reyes, Carlos Arturo}, year={2022}, month={Jul.} }