- "Doctors in Asia and the United States will give
double doses of Tamiflu to patients suffering bird flu and severe seasonal
human flu from May in a trial aimed at cutting high death rates from avian
flu."
-
- Hello, Jeff - The above statement is quite confusing
to me, as reportedly, we don't have H5N1 human bird flu cases in the US.
Or do we? Are they going to import some cases to try this on? Not
much seasonal flu in May, either. Hmmm...
-
- As for tamiflu, I don't think it should be prescribed
so freely and only used, very limitedly, for seasonal flu.
-
- First of all, tamiflu is not a safe drug and, second,
we might find ourselves in the same situation as we are now in with antibiotics.
Tamiflu resistance is a distinct possibility if we continue to prescribe
it so freely.
-
- Patty
-
- Doctors Test Double Tamiflu Dose To Cut H5N1
Deaths
- 3-28-7
-
-
- HONG KONG (Reuters)
-- Doctors in Asia and the United States will give double doses of Tamiflu
to patients suffering bird flu and severe seasonal human flu from May in
a trial aimed at cutting high death rates from avian flu.
-
- People infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus are now
prescribed the standard dose of Tamiflu, which is one capsule twice daily
for five days.
-
- But less than half the patients survive.
-
- "In animal studies, higher doses of Tamiflu have
resulted in higher cure rates for H5N1. The death rate from H5N1 is 60
percent, we want to see if we can solve this problem," said Tawee
Chotpitayasunondh, senior medical officer at Thailand's Ministry of Public
Health.
-
- Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States will
participate in the Tamiflu clinical trial.
-
- All bird flu victims will be included in the trial and
each country will pick 100 patients suffering from severe human flu.
-
- In both categories, half of the participants will be
given the standard Tamiflu dosage, while the other half will be given double
doses, or 150 mg orally, twice daily for 10 days.
-
- Severe human flu cases would be included because some
symptoms and complications were similar to H5N1, such as pneumonia.
-
- "We'll find out if it is safe to give double dose,"
Tawee said.
-
- "We will look at clinical signs such as whether
the person is feeling better. We will take secretions from the throat and
lungs and check for viral load. We will check to see the progression."
-
- For the moment, there are no commercially available vaccines
against the H5N1 virus and Tamiflu is regarded as the best front-line defence
against the disease if given to a patient during the early onset of symptoms.
Many nations have stockpiled the drug in the event of a bird flu pandemic.
-
- News of the trial comes after growing concerns Tamiflu
could induce psychiatric symptoms. Japan warned doctors this week not to
give Tamiflu to young people, after two teenagers fell from buildings after
taking it.
-
- "We are concerned about the cases in Japan, but
Japan consumes a lot of the total production of Tamiflu (for human flu).
If you use a lot, you may have more side effects," Tawee said. "But
we will closely monitor our subjects."
-
- While H5N1 threatens mainly birds, experts fear it can
trigger a pandemic once it learns to transmit efficiently among people.
If it does, millions could die.
-
-
-
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD
- Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
- Univ of West Indies
-
-
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at:
- http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php
- Also my new website:
- http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
-
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