Oseltamivir recommended for children hospitalized with flu

Despite limited evidence, oseltamivir is recommended for all children hospitalized with influenza and is associated with shorter hospital stay and lower odds of 7-day readmission, ICU transfer, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) use, and death, according to a study.

In this multicenter retrospective study, data from 55,799 children hospitalized with influenza from October 1, 2007, to March 31, 2020 were analyzed.

Overall, 59.5% (n = 33,207) of patients received early oseltamivir, defined as use on hospital day 0 or 1.

Children treated with early oseltamivir had shorter:

-Hospital length of stay (median 3 vs 4 days)
-Lower odds of all-cause 7-day hospital readmission (3.5% vs 4.8%)
-Late ICU transfer (2.4% vs 5.5%)
-Composite outcome of death or ECMO use (0.9% vs 1.4%)

Reference
Walsh PS, Schnadower D, Zhang Y, et al. Association of Early Oseltamivir With Improved Outcomes in Hospitalized Children With Influenza, 2007-2020. JAMA Pediatr. Published online September 19, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.3261