Health outcomes among patients receiving oseltamivir

Purpose Oseltamivir was approved by the FDA for the treatment of influenza in 1999. The primary objective was to compare health outcomes among influenza patients who were treated with oseltamivir and those who were not. Methods The patient population included UnitedHealthcare members who received an influenza. diagnosis during the 1999-2000 influenza season, divided into those who were dispensed oseltamivir on the same day (N=3211) and those who were not dispensed oseltamivir (N = 19 985). Cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric and respiratory outcomes were assessed from medical claims for a 30-day period. Results The adjusted incidence rate ratio for major cardiac outcome was 0.56 (95%CI: 0.34-0.93) in those without a positive history of major cardiac disease, indicating that those in the oseltamivir group tended to be at lower risk of cardiac outcomes than those without oseltamivir. The adjusted incidence rate ratio for major neuropsychiatric outcome was 0.72 (95%CI: 0.53-0.97) in the negative history of neuropsychiatric disease stratum. The incidence rate ratios for respiratory events were more variable. Conclusions There appears to be no increased risk of cardiac or neuropsychiatric outcomes among subjects with influenza who were treated with oseltamivir in comparison with those who were not. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.