Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a deadly pandemic throughout the world. Many case series from all over the globe and in India are detecting a very high frequency of chemo sensitive disorders in COVID-19. There is increasing evidence that olfactory and gustatory dysfunction can be present in COVID-19 patients. Olfactory and gustatory function was subjectively tested in 300 COVID-19 patients admitted at our hospital, Government Medical College, Jammu first through telephonic interviews followed by online questionnaire. Among our test population, 159 patients (53%) reported olfactory and gustatory alterations within 5 days of testing positive for COVID-19. 52% of those complaining olfactory dysfunction developed it before testing positive while 45% of those having gustatory dysfunction reported the same before testing positive for the disease. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions represent common clinical findings in COVID-19 patients. Otorhinolaryngologists and head-neck surgeons must by now keep this diagnostic option in mind when evaluating cases of nonspecific anosmia and ageusia that arose suddenly and are not associated with rhinitis/influenza symptoms.

Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a dangerous infectious disease caused by a newly discovered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has various clinical presentations. Numerable cases with non-specific olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in COVID-19 have been reported from all over the globe. This is important as awareness will let people to self-isolate and help in limiting disease spread. Objective To objectively evaluate the frequency of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction, which may occur independently or with other symptoms, in laboratory confirmed COVID-19 patients at an early stage of the disease. Methods Objective evaluation of olfactory and gustatory function of 322 COVID-19 patients treated at our hospital, (SMGS, Government Medical College, Jammu), from August 2020 until November 2020. Results Our study population included 127 (39.4%) males and 195 (60.6%) females. Two hundred and twenty-six (70.2%) COVID-19 patients experienced olfactory and gustatory disorders. One hundred and sixty-five (51.2%) cases experienced both olfactory and gustatory disorders. Isolated olfactory dysfunction was reported in 34 (10.6%) patients, while 27 (8.4%) patients experienced only gustatory dysfunction. Conclusion The olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions, without any nasal obstruction or rhinorrhea, are significant symptoms in the clinical presentation of early COVID-19 patients. This presentation can be recognized at the earliest one, and it can reduce the high communicability of the COVID-19 disease.

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The aim of the study was to study incidence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and conductive hearing loss (CHL) in patients receiving chemoradiation for head and neck malignancies and to ascertain the pattern of hearing loss in different frequencies.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> The present study was conducted on 100 patients of histopathologically proven head and neck malignancy admitted in Department of Otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery, SMGS Hospital, GMC Jammu during a time period of July 2017 to June 2019.Inclusion criteria for our study were patients with primary site of malignancy at nasal cavity, nasopharynx, oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, hypopharynx and salivary glands undergoing chemo-radiotherapy. Hearing loss was calculated with reference to the pre-treatment hearing threshold. A decrease of &gt;20 dB in single frequency or &gt;10 dB in two or more consecutive frequency was considered significant.  </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> In the study, 65 patients (65%) developed sensorineural hearing loss and 22 patient (22%) developed conductive hearing loss during course of treatment. However, 7 patients (7%) developed a mixed type hearing loss during course of treatment.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Although chemo radiation affects all the frequencies significantly but SNHL is markedly seen in higher frequencies. Conductive hearing loss is also a common adverse event after radiotherapy to the upper head and neck area.</p>

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<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> For anterior mandibular defects, vascularized bone flap reconstructions are the best for providing a solid arch necessary to restore form and function, especially in patients receiving tumour excision surgery in head and neck region. Our aim was to study aesthetic and functional outcome of free fibula osteocutaneous flap (FFOCF) in anterior mandibular defects in case of anterior floor of the mouth malignancies with mandibular infiltration.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> The clinical data of 15 oral cavity carcinoma patients with involvement of anterior floor of mouth with mandiblular infiltration that underwent FFOCF reconstruction at our institute, government medical college, Jammu, was prospectively collected from January 2018 till January 2020. In this study, the aesthetic and functional outcome of these patients was evaluated at 6 months and 1 year post surgery.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The aesthetic result of reconstruction was excellent in most patients. Also, there was no long-term donor-site morbidity. There was no peri-operative death. Flaps survived in all patients. Functional outcomes including the ability to tolerate oral diet and speech outcome were good in all cases.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The FFOCF, in reconstruction surgery of advanced oral cavity carcinoma permits more radical resection of tumour with good functional as well aesthetic outcome.</p>