A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the safety of early oseltamivir treatment among children 0-9 years of age hospitalized with influenza in El Salvador and Panama.

Background: Oseltamivir reduces symptom duration among children with uncomplicated influenza, but few data exist on treatment efficacy and tolerability among hospitalized children, particularly among infants aged <1 year. We evaluated tolerability and efficacy of oseltamivir treatment of children aged 0-9 years hospitalized with influenza.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial at tertiary care hospitals in El Salvador and Panama.