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Routine maternal immunizations for all pregnant women
Published in Hung N. Winn, Frank A. Chervenak, Roberto Romero, Clinical Maternal-Fetal Medicine Online, 2021
Influenza is an acute febrile illness associated with headaches, migraines, upper airway respiratory complaints, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Primary influenza pneumonia, which is frequently fatal, may occur in patients who have not been vaccinated and/or have underlying cardiopulmonary disease. Most fatalities associated with influenza are due to secondary bacterial pneumonia, usually Streptococcus pneumoniae (3,4). Influenza is caused by one of two viral isotypes: influenza A or influenza B. Influenza A and B are the two types that cause epidemic human disease. Influenza A is the most common and the most virulent strain. Influenza A viruses are further characterized into subtypes based on two surface antigens, hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). Influenza B viruses are separated into two distinct genetic lineages (Yamagata and Victoria) but cannot categorize into subtypes.
Influenza
Published in Firza Alexander Gronthoud, Practical Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 2020
Influenza is caused by influenza A and influenza B. Influenza can range from a mild, self-limiting illness to respiratory failure. Although the best method for preventing influenza is vaccination, the efficacy of the vaccine depends on how well it is matched with the circulating strain. Antiviral treatment is most effective if given within a couple of days after onset of symptoms and post-exposure prophylaxis may be indicated in some patients. It is therefore worthwhile to consider the following.
Severe Influenza Pneumonia and Its Mimics in the Critical Care Unit
Published in Cheston B. Cunha, Burke A. Cunha, Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship in Critical Care Medicine, 2020
Type B influenza, although generally regarded as having a lower morbidity and mortality in healthy people compared with type A influenza, severe respiratory failure could occur. Influenza B mainly affects children but can cause a substantial number of seasonal flu infections in adults as well. Interestingly, the most serious or fatal cases of influenza B virus-associated pneumonia were unlinked with chronic medical conditions [11]. Influenza C is much milder than types A and B.
Comparative efficacy assessment of antiviral alone and antiviral-antibiotic combination in prevention of influenza-B infection associated complications
Published in Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, 2021
Azfar Ishaqui, Amer Hayat Khan, Syed Azhar Syed Sulaiman, Muhammad Taher Alsultan, Irfanullah Khan
Influenza B infection usually causes an acute respiratory infection which is commonly self-limited, characterized by an abrupt onset with symptoms such as fever, headache, myalgia, cough, etc. [5]. Most of the patients experience mild illness with mild symptoms and either require no or little medical intervention. But patients diagnosed positively with acute respiratory illness induced by influenza can develop serious complications which can be life threatening [6]. The possibility of these severe influenza-associated complications is more likely in high-risk patients [7]. A study performed in Scotland based on patients diagnosed positively with influenza B infection reported that most patients who require admission to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to influenza B associated complications have aged more than 37 years and had not received seasonal influenza vaccine. Also, the initiation of antiviral agents was delayed and not initiated promptly [4]. A study estimated an economic burden of around 145 million Euros during influenza season 2010–2011 in France due to impact of influenza B patients [8].
Estimation of the value of convenience in taking influenza antivirals in Japanese adult patients between baloxavir marboxil and neuraminidase inhibitors using a conjoint analysis
Published in Journal of Medical Economics, 2021
Naoki Hosogaya, Takahiro Takazono, Akira Yokomasu, Shinzo Hiroi, Hidetoshi Ikeoka, Kosuke Iwasaki, Tomomi Takeshima, Hiroshi Mukae
There are two classes of antivirals available for influenza A and influenza B. One is neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs), such as oseltamivir, zanamivir, peramivir, and laninamivir; these inhibit the release of new virus from the cell surface. The other is the cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor baloxavir, which inhibits the initiation of viral mRNA synthesis. Among the series of antivirals, there are various dosage forms for administration. Oral oseltamivir and inhaled zanamivir are required twice daily for 5 consecutive days, and adherence – which is an important factor of successful therapy – could influence the success of treatment9. Peramivir can be used intravenously once daily or repeated administration. Laninamivir and baloxavir are both single dose antivirals; the former is inhaled, and the latter taken orally.
Pulmonary complications of influenza infection: a targeted narrative review
Published in Postgraduate Medicine, 2019
Asil Daoud, Amir Laktineh, Corey Macrander, Ammara Mushtaq, Ayman O. Soubani
The link between influenza A, primary viral pneumonia and secondary bacterial pneumonia has long been established [14,78]. Likewise, infection with influenza B has also been linked with pneumonia and significant morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients [79–82]. Among adults, influenza B has often been considered a mild respiratory infection and studies indicating its role in pneumonia have historically been lacking [83,84]. However, a recent series of case reports of Streptococci and Staphylococcal pneumonia with concomitant influenza B infection has since demonstrated the potential morbidity and mortality associated with influenza B infection in adults [85–87]. In fact, recent studies in children and adults that have directly compared the rates of primary viral pneumonia and secondary bacterial pneumonia in influenza A and B have shown no statistical significance between them [24,82,88–92].