Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza

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Overview

Up to 20% of the U.S. population will develop influenza each year. Influenza causes significant illness and death, especially in vulnerable populations such as infants, elderly, and immunocompromised persons. In April 2009 local healthcare providers, state health departments, and the CDC responded to influenza caused by a new virus (2009 Novel H1N1), first identified in Mexico. A pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in June 2009, the first since 1968. Unlike seasonal influenza, the groups at high risk for severe illness due to H1N1 virus included otherwise healthy children over the age of 2 years. In the U.S., the pandemic virus caused a substantial rise in influenza activity. The WHO declared the pandemic over in August 2010; however, the 2009 H1N1 virus is expected to circulate as one of several influenza strains during the 2010-1011 flu season.

Community healthcare providers including pharmacists and nurses play a key role in symptom recognition, patient triage, and provision of drug information, medications, vaccines and education. This article will review characteristics of influenza, including viral evolution, signs and symptoms of infection, subsequent complications, diagnosis, and the approach to management.

Publication Date: Nov-1-10
Expiration Date: Nov-1-13
CE Credit: 1.5 (.15 CEU)
Type of activity: Knowledge-based

This program was developed by The Rx Consultant and published by Continuing Education Network, Inc. The Rx Consultant accepts no advertising or financial support from the pharmaceutical industry and is funded solely by the purchase of programs. The Rx Consultant is dedicated to providing unbiased, balanced information to health care practitioners.

Programs developed by The Rx Consultant are written by health care providers with expertise in the topic area, peer-reviewed, extensively edited, and fact-checked. This development process was created to insure that every program presents information that is current, accurate, relevant to "real world" health care providers, and written in an easy reading, "plain English" style.

Authors

Colleen M. Terriff, Pharm.D., BCPS (AQ-ID), Clinical Associate Professor, Washington State University College of Pharmacy, Deaconess Medical Center, Spokane, Washington.

Disclosure Statement

Dr. Terriff reports no financial or personal relationship with any commercial interest producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing a product or service that appears in this issue.

Editorial and Review Board

Editor and CE Administrator Terry M. Baker, PharmD Associate Editor and CE Coordinator Tracy Farnen, PharmD Associate Editors James Chan, PharmD, PhD Pharmacy Quality and Outcomes Coordinator Kaiser Permanente Oakland, CA Associate Clinical Professor School of Pharmacy University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA Ron Finley, RPh Lecturer Department of Clinical Pharmacy University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA Associate Member of the UCSF Memory and Aging Center Alzheimer's Research Center Consultant Pharmacist to the Institute on Aging-On Lok Senior Health Institute on Aging Alzheimer's Day Care Center Angie S. Graham, PharmD Drug Information Coordinator Stanford Hospital and Clinics Stanford University Medical Center Stanford, CA Julio R. Lopez, PharmD, FCSHP Chief of Pharmacy Service VA Northern California Health Care System Adjunct Clinical Professor College of Pharmacy Touro University Vallejo, CA Assistant Clinical Professor School of Pharmacy University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA

Adjunct Professor Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy University of the Pacific Stockton, CA Visiting Associate Professor and Lecturer Nursing School Samuel Merritt University Oakland, CA Pamela Mausner, MD Joshua J. Neumiller, PharmD, CDE, CGP, FASCP Assistant Professor Department of Pharmacotherapy College of Pharmacy Washington State University And Elder Services of Spokane Spokane, WA Candy Tsourounis, PharmD Professor of Clinical Pharmacy Medication Outcomes Center Department of Clinical Pharmacy School of Pharmacy University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA Senior Editorial Advisor Gerard Hatheway, PharmD, PhD Editorial Advisors Jocelyn Chan, PharmD Belinda M. Danielson, RPh Christopher M. DeSoto, PharmD Cynthia Chan Huang, PharmD, MBA Fred Plageman, PharmD Editorial Advisor and Clinical Practice Consultant for Nurse Practitioners Emily K. Meuleman, RN, C, MS

Accreditation Statements

The Rx Consultant is a publication of Continuing Education Network, Inc.

About the Rx Consultant

The Rx Consultant is a monthly publication dedicated to providing health care professionals with the information they need to educate patients about drugs and manage drug therapy. The reader is responsible for confirming the information presented here and interpreting it in relation to each patient's specific situation before utilizing the information.

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Target Audience

This accredited program is targeted to pharmacists and nurses.

Exam and Credit Statement Procedures

Upon successful completion of this program and the post test (70%), 1.5 hours of continuing education credit will be awarded. To receive credit and your exam score, please complete the exam questions and program evaluation.

Educational Goals and Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

1. Discuss the general properties of influenza A disease including development of new types, pandemics versus epidemics, and transmission.
2. Describe the symptoms of influenza infection, including classic systemic and newly recognized gastrointestinal complaints.
3. Identify persons for whom the live, attenuated and the inactivated (standard dose and high-dose) vaccine is appropriate.
4. Recommend appropriate antiviral treatment or prophylaxis for seasonal influenza A.