title: [Influenza-like illness. Therapeutic experience in family medicine].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Surveillance in Mexico is based on the detection of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and antiviral treatment should begin within 48 hours to avoid the main complication, pneumonia. The aim was to describe the experience of treatment of ILI in a family medicine unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  a descriptive study included patients presented to the emergency room with ILI (38°C fever, headache and cough accompanied by other symptoms). We reviewed the reporting formats of Influenza. To follow up, we contacted them by telephone. Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  there were 537 patients attended with diagnosis of upper airway infection, 1.3 % met criteria for ILI. 85.7 % were men. The mean age was 18 ± 24.21 years. The patients were seen in a mean time of 19.14 hours after the symptoms have started; 100 % of the patients received treatment with oseltamivir and zanamivir; 14.3 % developed pneumonia. All the patients recovered without concomitant disease or complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of a protocol in patients with influenza in a family medicine unit led an early diagnosis and treatment that favored the patients' health restoration.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Medicina, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Salvatierra, Guanajuato, Mexico. gerardo_zirahuen@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Cortés
authors.forename: Guadalupe Ulises
authors.initials: GU
authors.lastname: García-Zavala
authors.forename: María Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Estrada-Andrade
mesh_terms: D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: infecciones del sistema respiratorio; influenza humana; influenza, human; respiratory tract infections