Friday, September 13, 2024

WHO Releases Updated Clinical Management Guidelines for Influenza

#18,294

In March of 2022 the WHO released a 79 page PDF titled Clinical Management Guidelines for Influenza to `. . . guide clinicians in their care of patients with or at risk of severe illness from seasonal, zoonotic or pandemic influenza.'

Today, they've released a massive update, which at 241 pages, more the triples the size of the original. 

As you might imagine, due to its size, I've not had time read it.  But, for those so inclined, I've reproduced the summary and link below. 


Clinical practice guidelines for influenza
12 September 2024
Guideline

Overview

This WHO Clinical practice guideline for influenza is an update and expansion from the previously published WHO guideline on the clinical management of patients with severe influenza or at risk of severe influenza.

These updated guidelines provide recommendations on the management of both severe and non-severe influenza and also includes recommendations on the use of antiviral medications to prevent influenza virus infection in individuals exposed to the virus in the previous 48 hours. This update applies to patients with seasonal influenza viruses, pandemic influenza viruses and novel influenza A viruses known to cause severe illness in infected humans.

This update also includes baseline risk estimates for hospitalization and death and proposed definitions of patients at high or extremely high risk of developing severe influenza, so as to enable the recommendations to be targeted appropriately.