title: The clinical effectiveness of oseltamivir in mild cases of pandemic influenza A H1N1 2009 infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oseltamivir is widely used for the treatment of influenza infection, but data on its effectiveness in treating infections with pandemic influenza A H1N1 2009 are scarce. Therefore, we compared the effectiveness of oseltamivir and routine symptomatic treatment in pandemic influenza A H1N1 2009 infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between August and October 2009, among laboratory confirmed influenza cases who were aged over 15 y with no underlying disease, 90 patients with oseltamivir treatment and 72 patients with symptomatic treatment were evaluated by telephone interviews to compare clinical outcomes. No patient was hospitalized. The primary end-point was the duration of illness. We also assessed the time to attain a sense of well-being and the time to return to normal activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference in the duration of illness between the oseltamivir-treated group and the symptomatic treatment group (mean duration after the start of treatment, 6.50 ± 3.75 days vs 7.04 ± 3.75 days). There was also no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in the time to a sense of well-being (1.70 ± 1.57 days vs 2.00 ± 2.12 days) and to return to normal activity (7.13 ± 2.61 days vs 7.58 ± 2.71 days). The complication rate was very low (only 2 cases of mild pneumonia in oseltamivir recipients) and no significant difference was found between the 2 groups (p = 0.50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral oseltamivir treatment does not significantly reduce the duration of illness or influenza-related complications in mild pandemic influenza A H1N1 2009 virus infection in previously healthy adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Seo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: So Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Young-Su
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Joong Sik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Eom
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D053139:Oseltamivir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058873:Pandemics; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D053139:Oseltamivir