Episode 905: Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for Influenza

Episode 905: Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for Influenza

Contributor: Aaron Lessem MD

Educational Pearls:

  • Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is an antiviral medication used commonly to treat influenza

  • Trials show that the medication reduces the duration of illness by less than 1 day (~16 hours in one systematic review)

    • Benefit only occurs if taken within 48 hours of symptom onset

    • Must be taken for 5 days

  • A 2024 meta-analysis reviewed 15 randomized-controlled trials for the risk of hospitalization

    • No reduction in hospitalizations with oseltamivir in patients over the age of 12

    • No difference in high-risk patients over the age of 65 or those with comorbidities

      • The authors note that the confidence interval in these populations is wide, indicating a need for subsequent studies in high-risk populations

  • Oseltamivir is associated with adverse effects including nausea, vomiting, and neurologic symptoms

    • The risk of adverse effects may outweigh the benefits of a small reduction in the duration of illness

References

1. Hanula R, Bortolussi-Courval É, Mendel A, Ward BJ, Lee TC, McDonald EG. Evaluation of Oseltamivir Used to Prevent Hospitalization in Outpatients with Influenza: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2024;184(1):18-27. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.0699

2. Jefferson T, Jones M, Doshi P, Spencer EA, Onakpoya I, Heneghan CJ. Oseltamivir for influenza in adults and children: Systematic review of clinical study reports and summary of regulatory comments. BMJ. 2014;348(April):1-18. doi:10.1136/bmj.g2545

Summarized by Jorge Chalit, OMSII | Edited by Meg Joyce & Jorge Chalit

Episoder(1148)

Podcast #296: Synthetic Cannabinoids

Podcast #296: Synthetic Cannabinoids

Author: Rachael Duncan, PharmD Educational Pearls A NEJM study report in July 2016 discussed a situation in New York during which 30 people became "zombie-like" after ingesting synthetic cannabinoids...

29 Jan 20185min

Podcast #295: UTI

Podcast #295: UTI

Author: Sam Killian, M.D. Educational Pearls Traditionally, UTI diagnosis has been dependent on urine culture, urinalysis and clinical symptoms. But a recent study casts some doubt on the utility of ...

26 Jan 20184min

Podcast #294: Rhabdomyolysis

Podcast #294: Rhabdomyolysis

Author: Michael Hunt, M.D. Educational Pearls Rhabdomyolysis is caused by the destruction of skeletal muscle that leads to the release of myoglobin, which causes renal failure. It presents with pain ...

22 Jan 20183min

Podcast #293: Transient Global Amnesia

Podcast #293: Transient Global Amnesia

Author: Sam Killian, M.D. Educational Pearls Transient global amnesia is a paroxysmal, transient memory issue. Remote and immediate memory is preserved, but new memories cannot be made. Patients will...

19 Jan 20184min

Podcast #292: Hypercalcemia

Podcast #292: Hypercalcemia

Author: John Winkler, M.D. Educational Pearls Normally, the parathyroid is the master regulator of serum Ca levels. It secretes PTH, which stimulates calcium uptake from the bone and gut. Causes of ...

17 Jan 20182min

Podcast #291: Cincinnati Stroke Scale

Podcast #291: Cincinnati Stroke Scale

Author: Nick Hatch, M.D. Educational Pearls The Cincinnati Stroke Scale uses 3 measures to screen for ischemic stroke. The measures are: facial asymmetry, speech quality and arm drift. This scale is ...

15 Jan 20182min

Podcast #290: The Biochemistry of DKA

Podcast #290: The Biochemistry of DKA

Author: Dave Rosenberg, M.D. Educational Pearls DKA commonly causes hyperkalemia, leading to peaked T-waves on ECG. However, DKA causes hypokalemia at the same time. In DKA, glucose cannot be taken i...

12 Jan 20186min

Podcast #289: Cannabinoid Hyperemesis

Podcast #289: Cannabinoid Hyperemesis

Author: Dylan Luyten, M.D. Educational Pearls Cannabinoid Hyperemesis syndrome is a relatively new diagnosis that presents with vomiting and abdominal pain without a clear etiology in the setting of ...

10 Jan 20183min

Populært innen Vitenskap

fastlegen
rekommandert
tingenes-tilstand
forskningno
sinnsyn
rss-rekommandert
smart-forklart
liberal-halvtime
villmarksliv
jss
fjellsportpodden
pod-britannia
vett-og-vitenskap-med-gaute-einevoll
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
rss-paradigmepodden
psykopoden
dekodet-2
rss-nysgjerrige-norge
nevropodden
rss-overskuddsliv