Influenza is commonly known as “the flu”, is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus and symptoms can range from mild to severe. The most common symptoms include high fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache, coughing, and tiredness.
Medications:
- Tab. Sinarest New (Chlorpheniramine 2 mg, Paracetamol 500 mg, Phenylephrine 10 mg) – 1 tablet thrice a day for 3 days.
- Cap. Becosules Z (Vitamin B complex and Zinc) 1 capsule once a day.
- Cap. Sinarest Vapocap (for inhalation only) in hot water as needed.
Preventive therapies:
- Inj. Influvac adult (inactivated Influenza vaccine) i.m. every year as soon as it becomes available. Inj. Influvac kids (inactivated Influenza vaccine) i.m. for children.
- Inj. Pulmovax 23 (Pnemococcal polysaccharide vaccine PPV 25 mcg) i.m. every 5 years.
General advice:
- Advice home remedies chicken soup, foods with garlic and pepper.
- Advice lots of warm water with honey and lime juice to reduce throat irritation.
- Salt-water gargles.
- Consider humidifiers to loosen sputum produced with cough.
- Suggest menthol based ointments such as Vicks vaporub.
Investigations:
- Throat swab – to rule out swine flu.
- Throat swab – to rule out COVID-19 as per most updated government guidelines.
- Malaria antigen card test – to rule out malaria.
- NS1 Dengue antigen test – to rule out dengue.
Referral:
Consider referring patient to secondary care in case of severe symptoms or if patient presents with additional complications.