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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffSpecific treatment options for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome are limited. But the prognosis improves with early recognition, immediate hospitalization and adequate support for breathing.
Two hantavirus treatment options are:
- Supportive therapy. People with severe cases need immediate treatment in an intensive care unit. Assisted respiration, whether through intubation or mechanical ventilation, can help with breathing and ward off pulmonary edema. Intubation involves placing a breathing tube through your nose, mouth or trachea to help keep your airways open and functioning.
- Blood oxygenation. In extremely severe cases of pulmonary distress, you'll need a method called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to help ensure you retain a sufficient supply of oxygen. This involves continuously pumping your blood through a machine that removes carbon dioxide and adds oxygen. The resulting oxygenated blood is then returned to your body.
The antiviral medication called ribavirin effectively reduces the risk of complications from a type of hantavirus found in China. In the U.S. and Canada, studies of ribavirin in people in the cardiopulmonary stage of hantavirus infection showed no benefit. Researchers are evaluating whether ribavirin treatment might be beneficial if started before cardiopulmonary symptoms develop.
- Dermody TS. Infectious diseases and their etiologic agents. In: Mandell, GL, et al. Mandell, Bennett, & Dolin: Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2005:2086.
- Shafts C. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2009. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2008: 380.
- Brown D, et al. Zoonotic viruses. In: Cohen J, et al. Cohen & Powderly: Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2004:2095.
- Hantavirus infection. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec17/ch198/ch198j.html. Accessed Dec. 21, 2008.
- Hjelle B. Epidemiology and diagnosis of hantavirus infections. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 21, 2008.
- Hjelle B. Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 21, 2008.
- All about hantaviruses: How do I prevent HPS? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/prevent.htm. Accessed Dec. 21, 2008.
- Steckelberg JM (expert opinion). Mayo
