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correspondence

Indian Pediatr 2010;47: 101-102

H1N1 Guidelines


VP Fadnis

Pediatrician,
YCMH, Pimpri 411 019.
 

I am working as Senior Pediatrician in Corporation hospital with indoor capacity of 750 beds out of which 90 beds are for pediatric patients, including NICU and PICU. At present we are coming across many patients receiving fluvir (oseltamivir) for ILI (Influenza like illness) and then referred to our hospital. Most of these patients suffer from cough, coryza, breathlessness and bronchospasm. According to government guidelines, fluvir is to be given for Category A, which include ILI with seriously ill patients requiring life saving measures and Category B, children with fever >38°C, tachy-pnea, cough and coryza, breathlessness with or without loose motions and vomiting. We come across similar complaints very often and we treat them as bronchiolitis/reactive airway disease. Are we justified in using oseltamivir so often, knowing the limitations and side effects of oseltamivir. Should there not be separate guidelines for starting oseltamivir in children, especially <2 years of age?

In our hospital, uptil now, out of 16 suspected H1N1 patients who were receiving fluvir from outside, only 2 turned out to be H1N1 swab positive and these children recovered rapidly with oxygen, IV fluids, and nebulization within 24 hours without any radiological evidence of pneumonia.

 

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