New H1N1 Guideline Update from CDC

From the CDC....see below:

From CDC Web Site updated yesterday afternoon : see illustration below! 

Summary

Most healthy persons who develop an illness consistent with influenza, or persons who appear to be recovering from influenza, do not needantiviral medications for treatment or prophylaxis. However, persons presenting with suspected influenza and more severe symptoms such as evidence of lower respiratory tract infection or clinical deterioration should receive prompt empiric antiviral therapy, regardless of previous health or age. 

Treatment with oseltamivir or zanamivir is recommended for all persons with suspected or confirmed influenza requiring hospitalization.

Early empiric treatment with oseltamivir or zanamivir should be considered for persons with suspected or confirmed influenza who are at higher risk for complications including:

• Children younger than 2 years old;
• Persons aged 65 years or older
• Pregnant women
• Persons of any age with certain chronic medical or immunosuppressive conditions (see page 3); and, Persons younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy.

Children 2 year to 4 years old are more likely to require hospitalization or urgent medical evaluation for influenza compared with older children, although the risk is much lower than for children younger than 2 years old. Children aged 2 years to 4 years without high risk conditions (see page 3) and with mild illness do not necessarily require antiviral treatment.

Treatment, when indicated, should be initiated as early as possible because studies show that treatment initiated early (i.e., within 48 hours of illness onset) is more likely to provide benefit.

Actions that should be taken to reduce delays in treatment initiation include:

• Informing persons at higher risk for influenza complications of signs and symptoms of influenza and need for early treatment after onset of symptoms of influenza (i.e., fever, respiratory symptoms);
• Ensuring rapid access to telephone consultation and clinical evaluation for these patients as well as patients who report severe illness;
• Considering empiric treatment of patients at higher risk for influenza complications based on telephone contact if hospitalization is not indicated and if this will substantially reduce delay before treatment is initiated.

Treatment should not wait for laboratory confirmation of influenza because laboratory testing can delay treatment and because a negative rapid test for influenza does not rule out influenza. The sensitivity of rapid tests in detecting 2009 H1N1 has ranged from 10% to 70%. Information on the use of rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/rapid_testing.htm.

Testing for 2009 H1N1 influenza infection with real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) should be prioritized for persons with suspected or confirmed influenza requiring hospitalization and based on guidelines from local and state health departments.

Consideration for antiviral chemoprophylaxis should generally be reserved for persons at higher risk for influenza-related complications who have had contact with someone likely to have been infected with influenza. However, early treatment is an emphasized alternative to chemoprophylaxis after a suspected exposure. Household or close contacts (with risk factors for influenza complications) of confirmed or suspected cases can be counseled about the early signs and symptoms of influenza, and advised to immediately contact their health care provider for evaluation and possible early treatment if clinical signs or symptoms develop.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm