Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Hospitalizations in the Elderly in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southern Italy as a Useful Proxy for Targeting Vaccine Preventive Strategies.

Autor: Centrone, Francesca, Loconsole, Daniela, Marziani, Alfredo, Orlando, Valentina Annachiara, delle Fontane, Arianna, Minelli, Martina, Chironna, Maria
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Zdroj: Infectious Disease Reports; Jun2024, Vol. 16 Issue 3, p491-498, 8p
Abstrakt: RSV infection causes severe respiratory illness and mortality in the elderly, especially in the presence of comorbidities. Early identification of infection would result in appropriate clinical-therapeutic management, avoiding hospitalizations, the risk of healthcare-associated infections, and inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions, thus reducing healthcare costs and fighting antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this study was to assess RSV hospitalizations in subjects >64 years hospitalized in a large tertiary care hospital in Southern Italy, in order to assess their usefulness as a proxy for targeting a potential vaccination strategy. Fifty-two RSV-positive patients were identified from the 2014–2015 to the 2022–2023 seasons. RSV type B was found in 71.2% of cases. The median age was 78 years (IQR: 72–84) and 40.4% of the subjects had at least one comorbidity; 5.8% needed intensive care. The use of combined rapid tests for SARS-CoV-2/influenza/RSV identification in primary care settings may contribute to an improved definition of the burden of RSV in the elderly. The implementation of an anti-RSV vaccination strategy in the elderly population would reduce direct and indirect infection costs. More robust epidemiological data in Italy are needed for targeted preventive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index
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