Comparative effectiveness of oseltamivir versus peramivir for hospitalized children (aged 0-5 years) with influenza infection

Abstract

Objectives: The effectiveness of oseltamivir versus peramivir in children infected with influenza remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate their effectiveness in young children (aged 0-5 years) infected with severe influenza A virus (IAV) or influenza B virus (IBV).

Methods: We analyzed a cohort of 1662 young children with either IAV (N = 1095) or IBV (N = 567) who received oseltamivir or peramivir treatment from January 1, 2018 to March 31, 2022. Propensity score matching methods were applied to match children who were oseltamivir-treated versus peramivir-treated.

Results: Children who were IAV-infected and IBV-infected shared similar features, such as influenza-associated symptoms and comorbidities at baseline. Among children infected with IAV with bacterial coinfection, the recovery rate was significantly greater in children treated with oseltamivir than in children treated with peramivir (15.6% vs 4.4%, P = 0.01). The median duration of hospitalization was also shorter in children treated with oseltamivir. Among children infected with IAV without bacterial coinfection, the recovery rate was greater in children treated with oseltamivir than in children treated with peramivir (21.1% vs 3.7%, P = 0.002). However, oseltamivir and peramivir offered similar recovery rates and duration of hospitalization (P >0.05 for both) among children infected with IBV.

Conclusion: Oseltamivir and peramivir exhibit similar effectiveness in young children with severe influenza B, whereas oseltamivir demonstrated improved recovery and shorter hospitalization in the treatment of severe influenza A in hospitalized children.

Keywords: Duration of hospitalization; Influenza A; Influenza B; Oseltamivir; Peramivir; Propensity score matching.