RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Efficacy comparison of oseltamivir alone and oseltamivir-antibiotic combination for early resolution of symptoms of severe influenza-A and influenza-B hospitalized patients
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 1015
OP 1021
DO 10.15537/smj.2020.9.25249
VO 41
IS 9
A1 Azfar A. Ishaqui
A1 Amer H. Khan
A1 Syed A. Sulaiman
A1 Muhammad Alsultan
A1 Irfanullah Khan
YR 2020
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/41/9/1015.abstract
AB Objectives: To assess the comparative efficacy of oseltamivir alone and oseltamivir-antibiotic therapy for early relief of symptoms associated with severe influenza-A (non-H1N1) and influenza-B infection hospitalized patients.Methods: In this retrospective multicenter study conducted from 2016-2019, enrolled patients were divided into 2 treatment groups. Group 1 patients were started on Antiviral drug (oseltamivir) alone therapy. Group 2 patients were initiated on Antiviral drug (oseltamivir) in combination with Antibiotic therapy. Using acute respiratory illness scoring, symptom severity score was assessed daily for 8 symptoms namely, fever, fatigue, headache, cough, sore throat, wheezing, muscle ache and nasal congestion. For each symptom the severity was scored from scale 0-3.Results: Overall mean ARI severity score was statistically significantly lower (p<0.05) on day 2 (14.65-vs-13.68), day 3 (12.95-vs-11.67) and day 4 (10.31-vs-9.12 ) for influenza-A (non-H1N1) while day 3 (12.52-vs-11.87) and day 4 (11.21-vs-10.18) for influenza-B patients for patients who were initiated on oseltamivir-antibiotic combination therapy. Fever, cough and nasal congestion showed statistically significant improvement within 4 days of initiation of combination treatment. Fatigue, sore throat and muscle ache improvement pattern was same for both treatment protocols.Conclusion: Oseltamivir-antibiotic combination treatment showed early resolution of some symptoms with cumulatively reduced mean symptom severity score in severe influenza infection hospitalized patients.