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Oseltamivir reduced the risk for ICU admission among children who were hospitalized with influenza, regardless of how long they had symptoms before starting treatment, according to findings published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Oseltamivir (Tamiflu, Genentech) is an antiviral medication approved by the FDA for treating influenza in patients aged 2 weeks or older. The AAP and CDC recommend its use even earlier to treat influenza in full-term and preterm infants from birth based on the likelihood that the benefits of treating influenza outweigh the risks from the medication. The Infectious Disease Society of America recommends starting antiviral treatment as soon as possible for all children aged younger than 2 years and any person who is hospitalized for influenza regardless of how long they have had symptoms, although initiating within 48 hours of symptom onset is ideal.
Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of 7,103 children (56% boys; median age, 3 years; interquartile range, 1-7 years) who were hospitalized for laboratory-confirmed influenza to compare outcomes based on receipt of oseltamivir. The researchers analyzed data from FluSurv-NET for the 2014-2015 influenza season through the 2022-2023 season. They excluded the 2020-2021 season, which was historically mild because of the measures taken to prevent COVID-19.
