Most people will not need flu drugs
In order to make the most effective use of Oseltamivir and stop people hoarding and overusing them, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged physicians to prescribe antiviral medicines to high-risk patients promptly but reminded that most people will not need and should not expect to get, the drugs if they come down with the flu. Dr Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunisation and Respiratory Diseases said that the majority of adolescents and adults and most children will not need antiviral treatment and can be cared at home, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. However, practitioners should not wait for lab tests to confirm the presence of the novel strain of the H1N1 virus before starting antivirals in high-risk patients who show symptoms of flu. The drugs work best when started within 48 hours of illness. The purpose of the new interim guidelines is to help health professionals prioritise use of antivirals for patients at higher risk of flu-related complications. The guidelines emphasise that, as always, clinical judgement is an important part of the decision of whether to give antivirals to patients who have illnesses consistent with influenza. The CDC also said it was generally acceptable for doctors not to prescribe antivirals to high risk patients who do not have the flu but have been exposed to it and only prescribe antivirals if they develop symptoms. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments