Olfactory injury from covid testing
Brian Sandle made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health
Ministry of Health did not have the information requested.
From: Brian Sandle
Dear Ministry of Health,
Is a record of olfactory injury from covid testing being kept?
Out of 4876 consecutive swabs in a test the following was found in this study Am J Otolaryngol. 2021 January-February :
"Table 1
Characteristics of patients who experienced complications.
Case no. Gender Age (years) Complication Treatment
1 Male 79 Broken swab stuck in the nose Removal under endoscopic view
2 Female 72 Nasal septum abscess Incision and drainage under LA
3 Female 46 Rupture of a small artery of the olfactory area Endoscopic cauterization and nasal packing under LA
4 Male 54 Anterior epistaxis Nasal packing under LA
5 Female 49 Anterior epistaxis Nasal packing under LA
6 Female 35 Anterior epistaxis Nasal packing under LA
7 Female 58 Broken swab in the nasopharynx Swallowed
8 Male 53 Broken swab stuck in the nose Removal under endoscopic view
LA, local anesthesia."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article... and the person with the cauterised oflactory artery may have lost smell sense? That can be troublesome: From: Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2004 Nov.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article...
Yours faithfully,
Brian Sandle
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora
Thank you for your request for official information received on 13 January
2021 for:
" Is a record of olfactory injury from covid testing being kept?"
The Ministry's reference number for your request is: H202100094.
As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Ministry will
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Ngā mihi
OIA Services
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From: Brian Sandle <[FOI #14446 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 13 January 2021 09:54
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Olfactory injury from covid
testing
Dear Ministry of Health,
Is a record of olfactory injury from covid testing being kept?
Out of 4876 consecutive swabs in a test the following was found in this
study Am J Otolaryngol. 2021 January-February :
"Table 1
Characteristics of patients who experienced complications.
Case no. Gender Age (years) Complication Treatment
1 Male 79 Broken swab stuck in the nose Removal under endoscopic view
2 Female 72 Nasal septum abscess Incision and drainage under LA
3 Female 46 Rupture of a small artery of the olfactory area Endoscopic
cauterization and nasal packing under LA
4 Male 54 Anterior epistaxis Nasal packing under LA
5 Female 49 Anterior epistaxis Nasal packing under LA
6 Female 35 Anterior epistaxis Nasal packing under LA
7 Female 58 Broken swab in the nasopharynx Swallowed
8 Male 53 Broken swab stuck in the nose Removal under endoscopic view
LA, local anesthesia."
[3]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
and the person with the cauterised oflactory artery may have lost smell
sense? That can be troublesome: From: Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am.
2004 Nov.
[4]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
Yours faithfully,
Brian Sandle
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From: OIA Requests
Kia ora,
Please find attached a response to your official information act request
Ngā mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [1][email address]
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M.R.M. left an annotation ()
Valid question. Perhaps ask ACC if they are covering this type of injury, and, if so, for copies of the information that they hold. Would be great if you could do this via FYI so that others can follow the thread and read any response you receive.
Brian Sandle left an annotation ()
I have received the following from ACC through data.govt.nz
URL: https://catalogue.data.govt.nz/dataset/0...
"In the 2019 calendar year, 51 claims were accepted for epistaxis related injuries compared to 32 claims in the 2020 calendar year.
In relation to injuries following a COVID-19 swab test, in the 2020 calendar year, ACC accepted 17 claims. Of those claims, eight were accepted as a treatment injury claim.
A treatment injury is a personal injury caused as a result of seeking or receiving medical treatment from a registered health professional. In order to fulfil the criteria for cover, the person must have suffered a personal injury and there must be a clear causal link between the treatment and the injury, and the injury must not be a necessary part or ordinary consequence of the treatment."
I imagine 2020 may have been less physically active in sports than 2019.
I am wondering about the seriousness of the nose bleeds following covid nasal swab testing, and if any arteries near the smell sense nerves were involved, in these claims serious enough for an ACC claim.
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Tom Atkinson left an annotation ()
This is a very good question. Perhaps consider if MEDSAFE may possibly be encouraged to setup a register of injuries?
See: https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Medicines/po...
Also you could apply for access to the WAND database here: https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/regulatory/D...
Link to this