SEPTEMBER 8, 2009, 3:47 P.M. ET
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza promptly be given to hospitalized patients suspected of having the flu rather than waiting for influenza test results, according to updated antiviral treatment guidelines issued Tuesday.
In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines for the use of Tamiflu and Relenza by suggesting the drugs be reserved for patients with more severe illnesses as well as those in high-risk groups for complications such as young children and people with underlying health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
Drugs like Tamiflu, by Roche Holding AG (RHHBY), and GlaxoSmithKline PLC's (GSK) Relenza have been shown to reduce the spread of the flu virus in the body and are most effective if given within 12 to 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
A top CDC official said Tuesday one of the main goals of the updated treatment guidelines is to "narrow the window" between symptom onset and treatment.
Anne Schuchat, the director of CDC's National Center for Immunization & Respiratory Diseases, said, "We don't want providers to wait for test results to become available" to begin treatment with antiviral drugs.
The guidelines also place less emphasis on using the drugs for preventative treatment - such as giving the drugs to people with underlying illnesses who were exposed to H1N1 influenza from a family member. Schuchat said doctors could consider "watchful waiting" to see if exposed patients develop a fever or other flu-like symptoms before starting antiviral treatment. On Monday Roche said it's seen 13 cases of H1N1 becoming resistant to Tamiflu, and cutting down on preventative treatment could slow the development of resistance.
Schuchat also said the majority of Americans who become ill with the flu don't need to seen by their doctors or be given antiviral treatment. Many doctors are no longer testing for H1N1 influenza and the government is no longer tracking individual cases.
Almost all influenza circulating in the U.S. is the H1N1 strain that was first discovered in April. As of Aug. 30, a total of 9,079 hospitalizations and 593 deaths have been attributed to H1N1.
-By Jennifer Corbett Dooren, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9294; jennifer.corbett@dowjones.com
hat-tip Tonka
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