Influenza season typically peaks in the United States during the Jan-Feb months and can start as early as October. You can read about the 2011-12 seasonal flu data on the CDC website.
Should you give a patient with influenza an antiviral agent or just provide supportive therapy?
This Paucis Verbis card summaries the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations for this upcoming 2011-12 flu season. I also let patients with uncomplicated influenza who are going to be managed as outpatients know that a 5-day course of osteltamivir or zanamivir will cost them about $50-80. Often that sways them towards declining a prescription and “toughing out” an extra day of the flu.
PV Card: Influenza
Adapted from [1]
Go to ALiEM (PV) Cards for more resources.
Reference
- Centers for. Infectious disease. Antiviral agents for the treatment and chemoprophylaxis of influenza. Ann Emerg Med. 2011;58(3):299-303; discussion 303-4. [PubMed]
Professor and Digital Innovation Lab Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
@M_Lin
