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The neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) have been implemented widely for treating patients with influenza: An estimated 18.3 million people worldwide received oseltamivir during the 2009–2010 H1N1 pandemic, according to the drug's manufacturer. Still, evidence supporting NAI use is relatively weak. Randomized trials of these drugs that involved relatively healthy patients showed only modest reductions in symptom duration, whereas evidence to support their usefulness for averting complications among sicker patients is limited.
In a new meta-analysis, researchers assessed the results of 90 observational studies in which outcomes of NAI use were evaluated among hospitalized influenza patients during the…