title: Effectiveness of oseltamivir treatment among children with influenza A or B virus infections during four successive winters in Niigata City, Japan.
abstract: Oseltamivir has been used for treatment of influenza A and B infections, but recent reports documented that it was less active against the latter. We compared the effectiveness of oseltamivir in children between laboratory confirmed influenza A and B over 4 influenza seasons from 2001 to 2005 in a pediatric clinic in Japan. Among 1,848 patients screened, 299 influenza A and 209 influenza B patients were administered oseltamivir (treated groups), and 28 influenza A and 66 influenza B patients were assigned as non-treated groups. The duration of fever, defined as period when patients had the maximum temperature higher than 37.5 degrees C in three-time measurements in a day after the clinic visit, was evaluated among the four groups. In uni-variate analysis, the duration of fever was shorter for treated group than non-treated for influenza A (1.8 +/- 0.9 days vs 2.6 +/- 1.3 days, p < 0.01), but it was not significant for influenza B (2.4 +/- 1.3 days vs 2.8 +/- 1.2 days, p = 0.9). The fever duration was longer in treated influenza B than A patients (p < 0.01). Multi-variate analysis indicated younger age (< 6 years old) and higher body temperature at the clinic visit prolonged the duration of fever. Adjusted average duration of fever indicated that oseltamivir was effective for both types, but more effective on influenza A, and the benefit increased for younger children. Our data provide evidence that oseltamivir is beneficial for influenza infections, but the effectiveness is differed by type and age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Isamu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Naohito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Yugo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shobugawa
authors.forename: Asami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Danjuan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Mizuho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Takatsugu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Taeko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oguma
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.forename: Fumitake
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gejyo
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002947:Cities; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D029521:Alphainfluenzavirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D053139:Oseltamivir / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D053139:Oseltamivir