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Taste and smell function in pediatric blood and marrow transplant patients
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Taste and smell function in pediatric blood and marrow transplant patients

J. Cohen, D.G. Laing and F.J. Wilkes
Supportive Care in Cancer: Official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, Vol.20(11), pp.3019-3023
2012
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Abstract

Transplant Pediatrics Taste function Smell function Nutrition
The intensive conditioning regimens of a pediatric blood and marrow transplant (BMT) can limit voluntary intake leading to a risk of malnutrition. Poor dietary intake is likely multi-factorial with a change in taste and smell function potentially being one contributing factor limiting intake, though this is not well studied. This research aimed to assess the taste and smell function of a cohort of pediatric BMT patients. A total of ten pediatric BMT patients (8-15 years) were recruited to this study. Smell function was assessed using a three-choice 16-item odour identification test. Taste function was assessed using five concentrations of sweet, sour, salty and bitter tastants. All tests were completed at admission to transplant and monthly until taste and smell function had normalised. At the 1-month post-transplant assessment, one third of participants displayed some evidence of taste dysfunction and one third smell dysfunction, but there was no evidence of dysfunction in any patient at the 2-month assessment. Contrary to reports of long-term loss of taste and smell function in adults, dysfunction early in transplant was found to be transient and be resolved within 2 months post-transplant in children. Further research is required to determine the causes of poor dietary intake in this population.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: InCites

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Citation topics
3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
3.220 Smell & Taste Science
3.220.1242 Taste Perception
Web Of Science research areas
Health Care Sciences & Services
Oncology
Rehabilitation
ESI research areas
Clinical Medicine
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