History & exam
Key factors
- fever and chills
- cough
- sore throat
Other diagnostic factors
- runny nose
- age (increased risk of complications)
- comorbidities (increased risk of complications)
- immunosuppressive medication
- pregnancy (increased risk of complications)
- smoking (increased risk of complications)
- residence in a nursing home (increased risk of complications)
- presence of ill contacts, or residence in or travel to pandemic areas
- constitutional symptoms (fatigue, headache)
- myalgia and arthralgia
- tachypnoea
- nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhoea
- extreme irritability (young children and infants)
- altered mental status/lethargy (young children and infants)
- seizure
- severe shortness of breath
- hypotension
- wheezing
- crackles
History & exam details
Diagnostic tests
Tests to consider
- rapid influenza antigen test
- real-time reverse transcriptase (rRT)-PCR
- viral culture
- immunofluorescent antibody staining
- FBC
- CXR
Diagnostic tests details
Treatment details
Presumptive
high-risk patients who have had close contact with an infectious person
- antiviral prophylaxis
Acute
pregnant
- supportive care + antipyretics + antiviral therapy
non-pregnant adults: previously healthy
- supportive care + antipyretics
-
with severe symptoms
- antiviral therapy
non-pregnant adults: high risk of influenza complications
- supportive care + antipyretics + antiviral therapy
children <5 years: previously healthy
- supportive care + antipyretics
-
symptom onset within past 48 hours or severe disease
- antiviral therapy
children ≥5 years: previously healthy
- supportive care + antipyretics
-
with severe symptoms
- antiviral therapy
children: high risk of influenza complications
- supportive care + antipyretics + antiviral therapy
Treatment details
Last updated: Dec 30, 2011
