WHO Issues Guidelines for Treatment of Swine Flu

10/26/2009 - News

WHO Issues Guidelines for Treatment of Swine Flu

By: June Chen, MD

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines for the use of anti-virals in the management of patients infected with the H1N1, or swine flu, virus. The guidelines represent the consensus reached by an international panel of experts who reviewed all of the available studies on the safety and effectiveness of these anti-viral drugs for the current strain of swine flu.

WHO emphasizes the use of oseltamivir and zanamivir to prevent severe swine flu illness and death, as well as to reduce the need for hospitalization and the duration of hospital stays for those infected by swine flu. The swine flu virus is current susceptible to both of these drugs. Although most healthy individuals who get swine flu will experience typical flu symptoms and recover within a week without any form of medical treatment, those with serious cases of swine flu should be treated before waiting for laboratory confirmation of H1N1 infection. Early treatment, preferably within 48 hours after onset of swine flu symptoms, is strongly associated with a better clinical outcome. The WHO recommendations apply to all patients, including pregnant women, young children, and infants.
 
For more information on the WHO guidelines for the use of anti-viral drugs for swine flu, click here.
 

Source:

World Health Organization Global Alert and Response, accessed August 25, 2009.

Created on: 09/01/2009
Reviewed on: 10/26/2009

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