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Nov 12, 2009 1:57 pm US/Eastern
Canadian Docs Warn Of Danger Using Tamiflu On H1N1
QUEBEC CITY, Quebec (CBS4) ―
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Tamiflu capsules in package and box, drug to treat flu, photo
AP
As fear and confusion continue to rule the debate on swine flu vaccines, Canadian officials are warning doctors against overusing Tamiflu, or using it in the wrong manner. In June, a Canadian father was the first case of Tamiflu-resistant swine flu in North America. According to the World Health Organization, 42 cases of Tamiflu-resistant pandemic H1N1 viruses have been found globally since the pandemic began earlier this year.
The case was reported by Dr. Guy Boivin who is based at Laval University in Quebec City. "I have to admit I would have expected more cases, considering…the large volume of Tamiflu that has been used in the last few months, certainly more than in the last five years," Boivin told the Canadian Press.
If swine flu is developing a resistance to Tamiflu, it wouldn't be the first flu to mutate that way. Seasonal flu viruses began to develop resistance to Tamiflu a few years ago. Doctors and researchers still haven't figured out why the resistance developed.
Boivin said part of the problem was doctors are prescribing the drug and giving it at a prophylaxis dose instead of a treatment dose, according to the Canadian Press. One-third of the cases of Tamiflu resistant flu have been in people who had been giving the drug for prophylaxis, which helps stave off infection but doesn't kill off all the viruses in an infected person's body, the Canadian Press reported.
"If I had a highly immunocompromised host (patient) where I knew that they were unlikely to respond to the vaccine and they had a significant risk exposure, I would probably err on the side of giving them full therapeutic doses for that particular exposure," antiviral expert Dr. Frederick Hayden told the Canadian Press. "But I think one needs to individualize."
According to Hayden, if it's necessary to put someone on prophylaxis, it might be better to use Relenza, saying it's been under-utilized for that purpose.
source:
The Canadian Press
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