Oseltamivir is protective for in-patient mortality in PCR confirmed influenza B and influenza A(H3N2) infections in an historic cohort of 1, 048 patients hospitalised during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 influenza seasons. Issue 3 (March 2023) - Reacher, Mark
Abstract: Standard course oseltamivir 75mg two times daily for five days was associated with an 82% reduction of odds of in-patient death (OR 0.18 (0.07, 0.51)) compared to no oseltamivir treatment (OR 1.0 Reference) in a final multivariable logistic regression model of a retrospective cohort of PCR confirmed influenza B and influenza A (H3N2) infected patients admitted to a large UK teaching hospital in influenza seasons 2016-17 and 2017-18. No difference of protective odds for standard course oseltamivir was observed between influenza B and influenza A (H3N2) nor between influenza seasons. These observations strongly support clinical guidelines for molecular testing for respiratory viruses on admission to hospital and prompt treatment of confirmed seasonal influenza B and A with oseltamivir 75mg twice daily for five days.