Antiviral Therapy and Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients with Influenza

group and 16 (5%) in the fluconazole or itraconazole group (Pp0.01) [1, p. 353]. The resultant absolute risk reduction of 3% yields a number needed to treat of 33.3. We do agree that the numbers alone do not tell us of the value of 1 life. Furthermore, that assessment cannot be made in the abstract but must be considered in relation to each individual and his or her circumstances and, especially, his or her personal wishes. In response to Jain and Pottinger [4], who raised the issue of gastric acidity affecting posaconazole absorption, we requested further information from Schering-Plough, the sponsor of posaconazole [5]. Per the sponsor, “concomitant use of posaconazole and cimetidine should be avoided. The effects of other histamine-2 receptor antagonists that may suppress gastric acidity for several hours on plasma levels of posaconazole have not been studied, but a reduction in bioavailability may occur so that coadministration should be avoided, if possible” [5].