The effectiveness of the new dosage regimen of the medicine Viferon® in the treatment of influenza and other acute respiratory infections in children of different ages with health disorders
Authors:   Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, Pavlova E.B. , Timchenko V.N. ,   Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, Subbotina M.D. ,   Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, Pavlova N.V. ,   Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, Chernova T.M. ,   Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, Nazarova A.N. ,   Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, Fedorova A.V. ,   Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, Vyzhlova E.N. ,   N.F.Gamaleуа National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russian Federation, Shuvalov A.N. ,   N.F.Gamaleуа National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russian Federation, Malinovskaya V.V. ,   N.F.Gamaleуа National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russian Federation
Published: December 2023

Purpose. To study the efficacy and safety of a new dosing regimen of Viferon®, rectal suppositories, in the treatment of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) in children from 1 month of age. up to 18 years of age with deviations in the state of health (related to II–IV health groups). Patients and methods. Conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled study involving 260 children aged 1 month up to 18 years of health groups II–IV, patients with influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections, who were randomized into 2 groups: 129 people group 1 received Viferon®, rectal suppositories, 131 people group 2 – placebo according to one of the three treatment regimens in accordance with the age of the children. All patients received standard therapy: antipyretics, anticongestants, mucolytics, if necessary, antihistamines and antibacterials. Clinical and laboratory observation was carried out within 10 days of therapy and then 1, 3 and 6 months after the start of treatment. Statistical processing was carried out using the statistical software Statistica 13.0. Null hypotheses were rejected at p < 0.05. Results. The inclusion of the drug Viferon®, rectal suppositories, in the complex therapy of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections in children of II–IV health groups, compared with Placebo, significantly reduces the period of improvement by 2.82 days (p = 0.0001, Tukey's test), by 2.85 days of recovery (p = 0.0001, Tukey's test), contributes to a 3.5-fold decrease in the proportion of patients with complications (p < 0.001), and also allows a significant reduction in the number of episodes of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections during the follow-up period after 1, 3 and 6 months after therapy. Conclusion. Complex therapy of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections in children with functional and morphofunctional deviations in health status (II–IV health groups) using the drug Viferon®, rectal suppositories, according to a modified scheme using higher doses and with a longer duration of therapy, can reduce the onset improvement and overall recovery of patients, reduce the number of complications of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections, reduce the number of recurrent episodes of the disease during the follow-up period 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment. Key words: Viferon®, children, immunity, interferon, influenza, acute respiratory viral infections