Using antibiotics in case of influenza

Acute respiratory bacterial infection is the most common complication of influenza and a leading cause for excess rate of outpatient visits, hospitalization, and death (pneumonia). Influenza promotes bacterial infection as stated by epidemiologic evidence of temporal association between outbreaks or peaks of both influenza and bacterial pneumonia. The bacteria involved are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus. However, Gram-negative rods, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, anaerobes and methicillin resistant S. aureus may be involved in institutionalized elderly patients. Various studies confirm that antibiotics are over-prescribed in patients with influenza or influenza like illness, even in the absence of bacterial infection signs, and in patients without comorbidity. No data has proven the benefice of antibiotic prescription in influenza-infected patients without bacterial infection. Neuraminidase inhibitors may be of interest for the management of influenza infected patients, because they can decrease the risk of bacterial complications and the use of antibiotics.