Vol.60 No.5 September 2012
A questionnaire study concerning the current status of influenza patients and their medication in Osaka Prefecture
1)Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan
2)Fujioka Pediatrics
3)Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University
Abstract
Background: An A/H1N1 influenza pandemic occurred in 2009 and two new drugs against the influenza virus were released in 2010 in Japan.
Objectives: We investigated the current status of influenza medication.
Method: Patients diagnosed as having been infected by the influenza virus in Osaka Prefecture answered a postcard questionnaire, which included their characteristics, flu vaccination status, symptoms, treatment drugs and drug-related adverse events.
Results: The flu vaccination did not change the degree and duration of fever. Arthralgia was more frequent in patients with influenza A than with influenza B. Headache and fatigue were more frequent in patients with influenza B than with influenza A. Oseltamivir was prescribed more frequently than the other drugs in all and under 9-year-old patients with influenza A. However, there was no preference between laninamivir, oseltamivir and zanamivir in over 10-year-old patients with influenza A. On the other hand, the most prescribed anti-influenza drug in influenza B was zanamivir. The times taken for the fever drop to below 37.0°C were not significantly different among the influenza drugs. However, laninamivir had a tendency to control fever faster and had significantly less frequent adverse events than the other drugs.
Conclusion: We should choose influenza drugs based on the individual patient's condition and taking each drug's characteristics into consideration.
Key word
influenza, questionnaire, laninamivir
Received
February 2, 2012
Accepted
June 15, 2012
Jpn. J. Chemother. 60 (5): 541-548, 2012
