May people worry that infectious pathogens will become resistant to current first-line therapies like antibiotics. Bacteria and other infectious diseases evolve and change to meet the needs of their environment and overcome treatments like these. Cancer is a well-known case in which the tumor cells evolve and become resistant to immunotherapy and other targeted treatments. Cancer is a prime example, because it rapidly divides and the mechanism by which it progresses allows tumor cells to avoid or overcome therapies. However, bacterial diseases are also common infections that can rapidly evolve. The World Health Organization (WHO) has even warned against a time in which antibiotics will not work. If this were the case, minor illnesses such as the common cold, could become fatal. The worry of antibiotic resistance is partly the reason we get yearly vaccinations. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) best predicts which viral infections will persist in the following year. A multitude of data is included in this prediction including the following:

Influenza, or the “flu,” is a viral respiratory infection that commonly affects the nose, throat, and lungs. Some symptoms of flu infection include fever, muscle ache, headache, dry cough, shortness of breath, general malaise, and more. Most healthy people with active flu infections can fight off the infection with their immune systems, however, certain high-risk groups may be prone to developing complications, such as children under 2 years old, adults over 65 years old, those that are pregnant, those with weakened immune systems, those with chronic illnesses, and those with a body mass index of 40 or higher.

The influenza vaccine is a preventative vaccine that reduces the chances of a patient having severe complications from the virus. Even after preventative measures such as the influenza vaccine, some adults remain at high risk for hospitalization following an infection. That is where flu antiviral drugs come in; antiviral drugs are medications that assist your body in fighting viruses.

The most common antiviral for the flu is Tamiflu, generically known as oseltamivir. Oseltamivir is a neuraminidase inhibitor and was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 1999. When oseltamivir is started within two days of flu symptoms and confirmed flu infection, it can shorten length of illness along with a decrease in overall symptoms. This is especially useful in high-risk populations who may be able to prevent a hospitalization after taking oseltamivir.

Importance Despite widespread use, summary evidence from prior meta-analyses has contradictory conclusions regarding whether oseltamivir decreases the risk of hospitalization when given to outpatients. Several large investigator-initiated randomized clinical trials have not yet been meta-analyzed.

Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of oseltamivir in preventing hospitalization among influenza-infected adult and adolescent outpatients.

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