Take these steps to improve your flu season preparedness
The 6 strategies outlined here can help you reduce the risk of illness and limit its severity if contracted.
PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS
› Recommend influenza vaccination for all patients at least 6 months old unless a specific contraindication exists. A
› Recommend pneumococcal vaccination to appropriate patients to reduce the risk for a common complication of influenza. A
› Encourage hygiene-based measures to limit infection, including frequent handwashing or use of a hand sanitizer. B
› Prescribe oseltamivir to hospitalized influenza patients to limit the duration and severity of infection. B
Strength of recommendation (SOR)
A Good-quality patient-oriented evidence
B Inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence
C Consensus, usual practice, opinion, disease-oriented evidence, case series
Over-the-counter medications, such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen are often used to manage the fever and myalgia associated with influenza. Patients should be cautioned against using the same ingredient in multiple different branded medications. Acetaminophen, for example, is not limited to Tylenol-branded products. To avoid Reye’s syndrome, children and teens with febrile illness, such as influenza, should not use aspirin.
CORRESPONDENCE
Jennifer L. Hamilton, MD, PhD, Drexel Family Medicine, 10 Shurs Lane, Suite 301, Philadelphia, PA 19127; jlh88@drexel.edu.
