CDC: Clinicians Should Not Hesitate to Give Antivirals to Pregnant Women with Flu-like Symptoms
July 29, 2009
Photo by karindalziel, via Flickr.
A study in the British medical journal Lancet warns that pregnant women infected with 2009 novel H1N1 had a higher rate of hospitalization and greater risk of death than the general population. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) press release:
“The death of a pregnant woman is always heartbreaking, and unfortunately we have been hearing reports of otherwise healthy women dying from H1N1. If a pregnant woman feels like she may have influenza, she needs to call her healthcare provider right away,” said CDC’s Dr. Denise Jamieson, lead author of the study. “Clinicians who treat pregnant women should have a system in place for triaging pregnant women with influenza-like symptoms and they should not delay in initiating appropriate antiviral therapy. Some clinicians hesitate treating pregnant women with antiviral medications because of concerns for the developing fetus, but this is the wrong approach. It is critical that pregnant women, in particular, be treated promptly. “
Here’s a CDC page offering guidance for clinicians (last updated on June 30) on pregnant women and the 2009 novel H1N1 virus.
Leave a comment about whether or not you’re seeing increased concern among pregnant women who are patients, as well as how urgently you’re seeing clinicians respond.
