ROME (ITALPRESS) – The peak has passed, but the incidence of influenza rates remains high, with children being the most affected. In this situation, there is often a risk of resorting to known but not always appropriate medications. This is why family physicians from the Italian Society of General Practitioners and Primary Care Physicians are intervening to emphasize the risks and appropriate uses among acetaminophen, anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics. Each drug must be taken for a specific purpose, as the administration of each may not have the desired effect and generate side effects. This year’s flu was often perceived as more aggressive than in previous seasons, with more intense symptoms, prolonged duration, and increased risk of complications. Several factors may have contributed: the possibility of a more contagious variant of the circulating virus; lower population immunity after protective measures for Covid; co-infections with other respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus or rhinovirus; and individual conditions such as age and comorbidities. Common symptoms include high fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and a dry, persistent cough.To deal with influenza and its symptoms there is often confusion in reference to antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and paracetamol. Therapy should be focused on alleviating the symptoms that affect the patient’s quality of life, symptoms that, moreover, may vary in impact due to differing individual tolerability. Fever, for example, is a reaction of the body against viruses, so if it is well tolerated, it does not compulsorily require medication. “Anti-inflammatory drugs counteract the body’s natural defenses produced against pathogens,” explains Alessandro Rossi, SIMG president. “They interrupt the body’s response and do not respond to infection. These drugs carry several risks: prolongation of the disease; increased risk of complications such as pneumonia; gastrointestinal disorders; and, in elderly individuals, repercussions on kidney function and the cardiovascular system, causing pressure elevations. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be used (but not in the first few days) to relieve symptoms if they are sustained by a clear inflammatory nature, but they should be used with caution, especially in patients with gastrointestinal or cardiovascular problems; in any case, it is always advisable to consult your doctor before taking them.””Paracetamol is the most reliable drug for reducing fever and relieving pain associated with viral syndromes such as headaches or muscle aches: it does not intervene in the mechanism of inflammation, but acts only for analgesic purposes, has a peculiar effect on fever, and is a safe drug, so much so that it is recommended for both the elderly and children, up to even pregnant women.””Regarding the prescription of antibiotics, SIMG has sensitized family physicians to prudent administration and according to real need,” highlights Alessandro Rossi. “Antibiotics, in fact, should absolutely not be considered in case of viral infection. They should be taken only in case of bacterial infection, with a doctor’s prescription and for the indicated duration: the risk, in addition to that of side effects, is that bacteria will develop resistance to antibiotics, thwarting their use and fueling a phenomenon that is already worrisome globally.” “The general practitioner can be consulted at any time,” adds Alessandro Rossi, “Certainly his involvement is necessary if the duration of symptoms exceeds 3-4 days, if there is persistent and drug-resistant fever, if, especially in frail individuals, new symptoms appear such as dyspnea, chest pain or, in very elderly people, onset of mental confusion. In any case, a consultation even by telephone makes the citizen safer and makes the management of viral syndromes of this type easier. In fact, the family doctor is the one who has known the patient’s personal history and family situation for the longest time and maintains a trusting and protracted relationship with him.”-photo press office Studio Diessecom – (ITALPRESS).
