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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffMost cases of flu, including H1N1 flu, need no treatment other than symptom relief. If you have a chronic respiratory disease, your doctor may prescribe additional medication to decrease inflammation, open your airways and help clear lung secretions.
The antiviral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) can reduce the severity of symptoms, but flu viruses can develop resistance to them. To make development of resistance less likely and maintain supplies of these drugs for those who need them most, antivirals are reserved for people at high risk of complications.
High-risk groups are those who:
- Are hospitalized
- Have shortness of breath along with other flu symptoms
- Are younger than 5 years of age
- Are 65 years and older
- Are pregnant
- Are younger than 19 years of age and are receiving long-term aspirin therapy, because of an increased risk for Reye's syndrome
- Have certain chronic medical conditions, including asthma, emphysema, heart disease, diabetes, neuromuscular disease, and kidney, liver or blood disease
- Are immunosuppressed due to medications or HIV
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Swine influenza A (H1N1) infection in two children — Southern California, March-April 2009. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2009;58:400. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5815a5.htm. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- World Health Organization. World now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic. Statement to the press by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_pandemic_phase6_20090611/en/index.html. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- World Health Organization. H1N1 in post-pandemic period. Director-General's opening statement at virtual press conference. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2010/h1n1_vpc_20100810/en/index.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2010.
- Watts G. A/H1N1 influenza virus: The basics. British Medical Journal. 2009;339:b3046. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/jul24_2/b3046. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Background information on influenza in pigs. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/. Accessed Aug. 19, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Key facts about influenza (flu) and flu vaccine. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Weber TP, et al. Inactivation of influenza A viruses in the environment and modes of transmission: A critical review. Journal of Infection. 2008;51:361.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WJT-4TMRJXX-2&_user=130561&_coverDate=11%2F30%2F2008&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000010878&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130561&md5=0b189b39929f3ee6cdc2ca1371fd1e0c. Accessed Aug. 19, 2010.
- Bean B, et al. Survival of influenza viruses on environmental surfaces. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 1982;146:47.
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