Neuraminidase Inhibitors for Preventing and Treating Influenza in Adults and Children

The authors reviewed available data from randomized, placebo-controlled trials on adults and children with confirmed or suspected exposure to naturally-occurring influenza to determine the effects of neuraminidase inhibitors. They found that two commonly-stockpiled neuraminidase inhibitors – oseltamivir and zanamivir – reduce the time to alleviation of symptoms in adults and that prophylactic use of either drug reduces the risk of developing symptomatic influenza. Neither drug reduced the time to alleviation of symptoms in asthmatic children, and oseltamivir use increased the risk of nausea, vomiting, psychiatric effects, and renal events in adults and vomiting in children.