Managing Influenza in Primary Care

Managing Influenza in Primary Care provides a comprehensive guide to influenza, with detailed discussions of its clinical presentation, the complications encountered in various patient subgroups, the tools available for diagnosing the disease andthe currently available preventive and therapeutic measures, all set in context with regard to the unusual epidemiological characteristics of indluenza and preparations for future pandemics. After many years with no major advances in the control of influenza, this volume appears at at time when a number of new approaches are on the horizon, including a live attenuated vaccine and, perhaps even more exciting, a new class of antivirals, the neuraminidase inhibitors, for the management of influenza A and B. To optimize the use of these new tools, improved understanding and recognition of influenza is critical. This volume will play a major role in achieving these ends.