Older and Sicker Patients with Flu-Like Illness Might Benefit Most from Oseltamivir

Current evidence suggests that oseltamivir reduces the median time to relief from symptoms of influenza-like illness by about 18 to 24 hours, with greater benefits in patients with confirmed influenza and in those who are treated within 48 hours of symptom onset. However, evidence on the effects of oseltamivir on children, older adults, and other relevant subgroups is limited. Researchers conducted a randomized, open-label trial that involved 3266 patients (age, ≥1 year) from 209 European primary care practices during three consecutive flu seasons. Patients had influenza-like symptoms for ≤72 hours at presentation; they were assigned to receive standard 5-day courses of oseltamivir or no treatment in addition to usual care and were asked to…