[The clinical characteristics and treatment of community outbreaks of the new influenza A (H1N1) infection].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical characteristics of 3 community outbreaks of the novel influenza A (H1N1), and to compare the treatment effects of the traditional Chinese medicine with or without Oseltamivir.


METHODS
The clinical records of 234 patients in 3 community outbreaks of the novel influenza A (H1N1) infection in June (n = 56), August (n = 96) and October (n = 82) of 2009 were analyzed, and the treatment effects of the traditional Chinese medicine with or without Oseltamivir were evaluated.


RESULTS
The baseline characteristics, including age, temperature, indices of blood tests, hepatic and renal functions were distributed evenly between the 2 treatment groups. The overall analysis suggested that there was no significant difference between the 2 treatment groups in the duration of clinical symptoms (P > 0.05), the duration of fever (P > 0.05), and the hospitalization days (P > 0.05). However, an analysis stratified by the temperature (≥ 39°C or < 39°C) suggested that patients treated by the traditional Chinese medicine with Oseltamivir tended to suffer a shorter duration of fever [40.5 (37.3, 42.0) vs 22.0 (10.5, 30.8) hr, P < 0.01) ] in the higher temperature group.


CONCLUSIONS
The traditional Chinese medicine was equivalent to oseltamivir in treating patients with the novel influenza A (H1N1) infection with lower temperature (< 39°C). Oseltamivir was effective in shortening the duration of fever in patients with temperature higher than 39°C.
Wang
Ping
P
Department of Respiratory Medicine, 306th Hospital, Beijing 100101, China. pingwang306@gmail.com
Zhu
Min-li
ML
Song
Hai-jing
HJ
Xiao
Qing
Q
Kong
Xin-chun
XC
Peng
Wen-hong
WH
Xing
Shi-ling
SL
Guo
Ai-min
AM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D053139:Oseltamivir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D053139:Oseltamivir