Severe Morbidity And Mortality Associated With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Versus Influenza Infection In Hospitalized Older Adults

Ackerson B, Tseng HF, Sy LS, Solano Z, Slezak J, Luo Y, Fischetti CA, Shinde V

Summary
A large cohort of adults >=60 years hospitalised with laboratory confirmed RSV or influenza infection during 5 consecutive seasons were investigated. The study showed that older adults hospitalised with RSV were slightly older and more likely to have baseline co-morbidity conditions than those with influenza. Regarding hospitalisation outcome, they had longer length of hospital stay, greater odds of pneumonia, ICU admission, COPD exacerbation, chronic bronchiolitis, emphysema and one-year mortality than those with influenza, even after adjustment for baseline comorbidities. This might reflect the increased use of antiviral therapies for influenza in recent years and differences of clinical severity in RSV and influenza infection. The findings highlight the substantial morbidity and mortality associated with RSV infection in hospital settings in the expanding population of older adults who could benefit from RSV vaccines and antivirals

Download Paper of the month January 2019