The olfactory sense: a developmental and lifespan perspective

Aim and objective. The objective of this literature review is to discuss human olfactory development, function and assessment through the lifespan. This article will highlight the importance of accurate olfactory function assessment. Background. Olfactory function in humans is an understudied sense and may contribute significantly to patient safety and quality of life. Studies related to olfactory function are presented for different life stages. Olfactory development is reviewed as is terminology used to describe functionality. This article highlights the need for nursing assessment of olfactory function to develop holistic nursing interventions since there are implications for patient safety, quality of life issues related to respiratory function, bonding and nutrition. Design. Literature review. Method. Articles were searched in CINAHL, PsychInfo and PubMed limited to those published in English to 2010 with the key terms ‘olfactory and nursing’. The search yielded 47 articles that were clinically based on patient care. Those articles that dealt specifically with traumatic brain syndrome were excluded. However, peer reviewed and research article were both specified. Results. There is evidence that olfactory assessment should be completed by nurses on high risk populations to ensure patent safety and enhance quality of life. Conclusions. More studies are needed to improve clinical knowledge about the role of olfactory function. Relevance to clinical practice. Nurses are in a prime position to assess olfactory function for patients at high risk for deficits to provide holistic nursing care.