Fifth Sense statement on PRP injections for olfactory loss following recent media coverage
There has been recent media coverage about the potential for Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections as a new way of treating smell loss.
Platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) is derived from fresh whole blood containing a high concentration of platelets. The blood is taken from the individual receiving the treatment. The PRP is then injected into the individual’s olfactory cleft. PRP has been explored as a potential treatment for other conditions, including arthritis.
Several research studies have been published where people with different forms of olfactory dysfunction have received a number of PRP injections over the course of several months. Some of the people involved in the studies experienced improvements in their sense of smell, as measured by a clinically validated smell test, whilst some experienced no improvement.
At this stage, PRP injections are an experimental treatment for olfactory dysfunction that has not been approved by NICE to treat NHS patients. The studies that have been undertaken so far show that PRP may offer potential benefit to some patients affected by olfactory loss, but that more work is needed, including double-blind randomized controlled trials involving larger numbers of patients, to get a better understanding of what benefits PRP may offer, and to which patient groups.
The recent media coverage focuses on one individual who has received one injection of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) from an ENT Consultant in London. Typically a randomised control trial would involve dozens of patients, and would assess ability to smell before and after treatment. It is unclear in this case whether a smell test was undertaken before or after the injection in order to establish the magnitude of any perceived effect.
Fifth Sense supports research into better understanding the causes of olfactory dysfunction and finding new treatments. We want to see new treatments made available to patients on the NHS as soon as possible, with these having been evaluated in clinical trials, the gold standard being double-blind randomized controlled trials.
Details of two published papers on PRP for olfactory loss:
Use of platelet-rich plasma for COVID-19–related olfactory loss: a randomized controlled trial
https://doi.org/10.1002/alr.23116 This was an initial study involving 35 people affected by post-Covid smell dysfunction, 26 of whom completed the study
Long-term Outcomes of PRP Injections for Post-viral Olfactory Loss: A Prospective Cohort Study
