Abstract
Introduction
The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT® ) is a reliable olfactory test that is easy and quick to apply. It is a one-time use
test and its reuse is not recommended by the manufacturer.
Objectives
Because in high-demand healthcare facilities testing all patients with UPSIT® can be costly, in this present study we sought to assess the feasibility of reusing
the UPSIT.
Methods
Two hundred and ninety healthy volunteers aged 18 and 40 without olfactory complaints
participated in the study. Two hundred and forty volunteers underwent the UPSIT® scratching the small strip of the test doing only 2 Z-shaped scratches (“2 Zs” protocol);
each UPSIT® was used 20 times by same-sex participants. The remaining fifty patients performed
the UPSIT® in the standard single-use fashion. Adjusted multiple regressions relating to the
olfactory test score, number of times the test was applied, and demographic variables
were performed.
Results
The mean scores using the UPSIT® repeatedly were lower than those done in the single-use standard fashion. Despite
this, the scores remained stable until the tenth time the test was applied. When patients
perform the UPSIT® in the “2 Zs” protocol, a correction factor of more 3 points was required in the
final score.
Conclusion
UPSIT® reuse up to 10 times is feasible when a 3-point correction factor is added to the
final score. The “2 Zs” protocol described is an alternative to reduce costs in epidemiological
studies. This study, however, is limited as it was carried out only with healthy individuals.
Keywords smell - olfactory perception - olfaction disorders - anosmia - economics
Bibliographical Record ® )? The “2 Zs” Protocol. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2025; 29: s00451810003.
