Management of Influenza Symptoms in Healthy Children

Abstract

For children presenting with influenza symptoms during a local influenza outbreak, treatment with antiviral therapy appears to offer the best outcome and often saves money. The choice of antiviral drug should be based on the prevalence of influenza B.

Recent changes in the trends of seasonal influenza outbreaks in the Nagano Prefectural area of Japan: an oseltamivir effect?

“…Prospective studies reveal a positive predictive value of more than 70% coincidence for virus isolation and clinical diagnosis. 7,8 Since 2003, infl uenza was diagnosed in nearly all cases by rapid virusantigen tests. 6,9 Both the sensitivity and the specifi city of these tests in the diagnosis of infl uenza A are more than 90%.…”

Economic Analyses of Respiratory Tract Infection Diagnostics: A Systematic Review

“…The population of the studies were adults [ 71 – 77 ], children [ 78 – 80 ] and the elderly [ 81 , 82 ] with influenza-like illness during the influenza season [ 73 – 75 , 77 , 80 , 82 ], and, in two papers, only patients without prior influenza vaccination were included [ 77 , 78 ]. The diagnostic test to detect influenza was included in all decision trees and was compared to clinical judgement [ 71 , 81 ], empirical treatment [ 72 , 75 – 77 , 80 ], treating none [ 72 – 74 , 78 , 79 ], targeted or universal rapid influenza testing [ 75 ], culture [ 76 ] as well as other rapid diagnostic tests such as FLU OIA, QuickVue, ZstatFlu [ 77 , 80 , 82 ] or other tests [ 73 ]. In the case of a positive influenza test, the treatment was oseltamivir [ 73 – 75 , 77 , 78 , 80 – 82 ].…”

“…The diagnostic test to detect influenza was included in all decision trees and was compared to clinical judgement [ 71 , 81 ], empirical treatment [ 72 , 75 – 77 , 80 ], treating none [ 72 – 74 , 78 , 79 ], targeted or universal rapid influenza testing [ 75 ], culture [ 76 ] as well as other rapid diagnostic tests such as FLU OIA, QuickVue, ZstatFlu [ 77 , 80 , 82 ] or other tests [ 73 ]. In the case of a positive influenza test, the treatment was oseltamivir [ 73 – 75 , 77 , 78 , 80 – 82 ]. Amoxicillin [ 72 , 75 – 77 , 80 ] and/or oseltamivir [ 71 – 75 , 78 – 82 ] were included in the empirical treatment strategies.…”

“…In the case of a positive influenza test, the treatment was oseltamivir [ 73 – 75 , 77 , 78 , 80 – 82 ]. Amoxicillin [ 72 , 75 – 77 , 80 ] and/or oseltamivir [ 71 – 75 , 78 – 82 ] were included in the empirical treatment strategies. The time horizon was 1 year [ 76 , 79 ] or a single episode of influenza-like illness [ 72 , 73 , 75 , 77 ].…”

“…The time horizon was 1 year [ 76 , 79 ] or a single episode of influenza-like illness [ 72 , 73 , 75 , 77 ]. The clinical outcome most used was QALYs [ 73 , 74 , 76 – 82 ], quality-adjusted life expectancy [ 77 , 80 , 82 ], days free from disease [ 71 , 73 ] and antibiotic prescriptions saved [ 75 ]. Two decision trees considered resistance: oseltamivir resistance was included as a percentage of H1N1 strains [ 78 ] and, as assumed by Michaelidis et al [ 56 ], authors supposed that the relationship between antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance was one-to-one linear, to determine the impact of antibiotics used in treating influenza-like illness on overall societal antibiotic resistance [ 75 ].…”