From the Guidelines
Yes, patients can experience a loss of taste after an ICU stay, and this symptom is relatively common, especially in COVID-19 patients. This symptom can occur due to several factors related to critical illness and ICU treatment, including medications, endotracheal intubation, and mechanical ventilation, which can cause temporary nerve damage to taste pathways 1. Critical illness itself can also alter taste sensation through inflammatory processes and metabolic changes. Nutritional deficiencies that develop during prolonged ICU stays may also impact taste function. Some key points to consider include:
- Medications administered during ICU care, particularly certain antibiotics, sedatives, and opioids, can affect taste perception.
- Endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation may cause temporary nerve damage to taste pathways.
- Critical illness itself can alter taste sensation through inflammatory processes and metabolic changes.
- Nutritional deficiencies that develop during prolonged ICU stays may also impact taste function.
- COVID-19 patients treated in ICUs frequently report taste disturbances as a specific symptom of their illness, with studies suggesting that up to 45% of patients may experience hypogeusia, or a reduced sense of taste 1. For most patients, taste function gradually improves within weeks to months after discharge, though recovery time varies. Patients experiencing persistent taste problems should discuss this with their healthcare provider during follow-up appointments, as nutritional support and taste retraining exercises might be beneficial during recovery. It's also worth noting that anosmia, or a loss of smell, is often associated with a loss of taste, and studies have shown that patients with COVID-19 may experience anosmia as a presenting symptom, with some studies suggesting that up to 67% of patients may experience anosmia or hyposmia, and that this symptom may be a strong predictor of COVID-19 1.
From the Research
Loss of Taste After ICU Stay
- There is no direct evidence in the provided studies that specifically addresses the loss of taste after an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay.
- However, the studies suggest that loss of taste can be a symptom of various conditions, including COVID-19 2, 3, 4.
- COVID-19 has been shown to cause alterations in taste and smell, which can lead to severe disruption in daily living and impact psychological well-being, physical health, relationships, and sense of self 2.
- The sense of taste can be affected by various factors, including viral upper respiratory infections, aging, exposure to chemicals, drugs, trauma, and poor oral health 3, 5, 6.
- While the studies do not directly address the loss of taste after an ICU stay, they suggest that patients who experience COVID-19 or other conditions that affect the sense of taste may be at risk of developing taste impairments, including complete taste loss (ageusia), partial reductions (hypogeusia), or over-acuteness of the sense of taste (hypergeusia) 3, 5.
Related Factors
- Age-related deficits in taste and smell are common and can influence nutrition, safety, quality of life, and psychological and physical health 6.
- Chemosensory dysfunctions, including loss of smell and taste, have been observed in patients with COVID-19, even after complete vaccination 4.
- The recovery rate of taste and smell loss in patients with COVID-19 is not well established and requires further research 4.