CDC guidelines for the treatment of influenza include the following:
Antiviral treatment is recommended as soon as possible for any patient with suspected or confirmed influenza who is hospitalized; has severe, complicated, or progressive illness; or is at higher risk for influenza complications.
Decisions about starting antiviral treatment for patients with suspected influenza should not wait for laboratory confirmation of influenza virus infection. Empirical antiviral treatment should be started as soon as possible in the above priority groups.
Clinicians can consider early empirical antiviral treatment of non–high-risk outpatients with suspected influenza on the basis of clinical judgement, if treatment can be initiated within 48 hours of illness onset.
The recommended treatment course for uncomplicated influenza is two doses per day of oral oseltamivir or inhaled zanamivir for 5 days, or one dose of intravenous peramivir or oral baloxavir for 1 day.
The CDC does not recommend baloxavir for treatment of influenza in pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers. The CDC also does not recommend baloxavir for monotherapy of influenza in severely immunosuppressed persons.
Oral oseltamivir is the preferred treatment in pregnant women. Pregnant women are recommended to receive the same antiviral dosing as nonpregnant women.
Read more about the treatment of influenza.
This Fast Five Quiz was excerpted and adapted from the Medscape Drugs & Diseases article Influenza Treatment & Management.
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Cite this: Michael Stuart Bronze. Fast Five Quiz: Flu Season - Medscape - Oct 02, 2020.
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