It Doesn’t Have to be EviDense

[摘要] Although we all use oseltamivir with regularity in the winter, there remains controversy surrounding outcomes after treatment. For this one, we look to the adult literature. ### The study.This meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effect of oseltamivir on duration of symptoms, complications, and hospitalizations in adults and included all published and unpublished randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials that compared oseltamivir with placebo in patients with suspected or confirmed influenza.### The key findings.Eleven studies (4769 patients) met the meta-analysis criteria. Five studies reported duration of symptoms in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population with a mean reduction of 21 hours (confidence interval 13.3–28.0; I 2 = 0%). Risk difference between oseltamivir and placebo was not statistically significant for patients requiring additional hospitalization or developing pneumonia.#### Why do we care?The drug costs roughly $100 per course, for what amounts to less than a day of symptom relief without a corresponding decrease in hospitalization due to respiratory complications, sepsis, or dehydration. Furthermore, adverse effects of oseltamivir, such as nausea and vomiting, occur in at least 10% of patients. The authors also found that high-quality, unpublished randomized controlled trial performed by the manufacturer demonstrated a less favorable treatment effect than did the published literature.#### Straight from the author’s mouth...“Much of the literature was never published...shameful frankly. All studies …

[学科分类] 儿科学

[关键词] Campylobacter;proljev;dob