Table 2 Primary and secondary outcomes at 12 weeks
Placebo group (n = 56) | Prednisolone group (n = 57) | Difference (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sniffin’ Sticks Test (SST) | ||||
Threshold-Discrimination-Identification (TDI) score | 26.8 (23.6–29.3) | 28.8 (24–30.9) | - 1.5 (-3.0 to 0.25) | p = 0.10 |
Threshold | 4.3 (3.3–5.4) | 4.5 (3.1–6.4) | -0.25 (-1.0 to 0.5) | p = 0.47 |
Discrimination | 11 (10–12) | 12 (10.5–13) | -1.00 (-1.00 to 0.00) | p = 0.12 |
Identification | 11.5 (10–12) | 11 (10–13) | 0.00 (-1.00 to 1.00) | p = 0.45 |
Taste Strip Test (TST) | ||||
Total score | 11 (9.3–13) | 11 (9–13) | 0.00 (-1.00 to 1.00) | p = 0.50 |
Sweet | 4 (3–4) | 4 (3–4) | 0.00 (0.00 to 0.00) | p = 0.66 |
Sour | 2 (2–3) | 2 (2–3) | 0.00 (0.00 to 0.00) | p = 0.84 |
Salty | 3 (2–4) | 3 (2–4) | 0.00 (0.00 to 1.00) | p = 0.31 |
Bitter | 3 (2–4) | 3 (2–3.5) | 0.00 (0.00 to 1.00) | p = 0.47 |
Sino-nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) | 16 (10–26) | 19 (10–32) | -1.00 (-7.0 to 4.0) | p = 0.69 |
Olfactory Disorders Questionnaire (ODQ) | ||||
Total score | 0.4 (0.3–0.6) | 0.4 (0.3–0.5) | 0.00 (-0.06 to 0.06) | p = 0.89 |
Self-reported visual analog scale (VAS) | ||||
Sense of smell | 3.2 (1.8–6.5) | 3.6 (1.0–5.8) | 0.3 (-0.9 to 1.3) | p = 0.53 |
Sense of taste | 5.6 (2.3–7.6) | 5.0 (2.0–7.8) | 0.1 (-1.00 to 1.3) | p = 0.80 |
Trigeminal sensations | 5.1 (2.9–7.4) | 5.3 (2.4–7.9) | -0.2 (-1.3 to 1.00) | p = 0.76 |