Study Results Show 1 in 20 Adults With RSV Are Hospitalized

New study findings assessed the absolute risk of 28-day, all-cause hospitalization following outpatient medically attended respiratory syncytial virus (MA-RSV) infections among adults. The researchers aimed to evaluate the proportion of adults with RSV infections that were initially diagnosed in the outpatient setting during the 2016 to 2022 RSV seasons.¹

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RSV is reported to the leading cause of acute respiratory tract infections among adults, leading to severe outcomes among high-risk individuals.¹ High risk features include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and older age.² An estimated 159,000 hospitalizations due to RSV infection occur each year in the US among adults aged 65 years and older. Additionally, prior studies have suggested that 82% to 90% of hospitalizations observed within 28 to 30 days of RSV diagnosis in adults were linked to acute respiratory infections.^1,2

"Therapeutic and preventive measures to reduce hospitalizations following RSV infection would provide major benefits to patients in the US health care system," said Joshua T. Swan, PharmD, MPH, of Pfizer, in a press release.^1,2

RSV infection rates have been underestimated due to low rates of testing, possibly connected with limited treatment options for individuals infected with RSV. Additionally, the study authors noted that limited data are available to help determine the risk of hospitalization following outpatient RSV disease diagnosis in the US.¹

“Testing is relevant for RSV only in that it helps you put a name to the illness at hand and proves you don't need antivirals for, say, COVID or flu, or antibiotics for bacteria,” said Cameron Wolfe, MBBS, of Duke University Medical Center, in an interview with MedPage Today.²

The current retrospective cohort study was conducted to assess the efficacy of outpatient RSV antiviral treatment in preventing RSV-associated hospitalization within 28 days among older high-risk individuals.¹

The cohort study used data from 3 separate deidentified databases (Optum’s deidentified Integrated Claims-Clinical dataset, TriNetX Linked, and Veradigm Network EHR) that included electronic health records from October 1, 2016, to September 20, 2022, covering 6 RSV seasons. The study authors noted that closed insurance claims data were used, excluding open claims to better follow the patient journey, and all patients had commercial or government insurance.¹

A total of 67,239 RSV infections were diagnosed in adult outpatients from the 3 databases, with 2771 from Optum, 7442 from TriNetX, and 57,026 from Veradigm. However, females had the highest rate of infection, ranging from 62% to 67%. Furthermore, results demonstrated that the proportion of hospitalized patients were 6.2% in Optum, 6.0% in TriNetX, and 4.5% in Veradigm. In the high-risk subgroup, the proportion hospitalized was 7.6% in Optum, 8.5% in TriNetX, and 6.5% in Veradigm.^1,2

These findings suggest that among adults with outpatient RSV infections across 6 RSV seasons, around 1 in 20 were hospitalized within 28 days, according to the study authors.^1,2

“These results highlight the unmet medical need for outpatient interventions and preventive measures that can reduce hospitalizations,” said the study authors, in the press release.¹

REFERENCES

1. Hospitalization Following Outpatient Diagnosis of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Adults. JAMA Network Open. News release. November 19, 2024. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2826359?resultClick=1.

2. One in 20 Adults With RSV Hospitalized, Study Shows. Medpage Today. News release. November 19, 2024. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/rsv/112999?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2024-11-19&mh=6d2b5f4f91352444bdf817a9c17750bc&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Headlines%20Evening%20-%20Randomized%202024-11-19&utm_term=NL_Daily_DHE_dual-gmail-definition.