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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
oleh: Francesca Centrone, Daniela Loconsole, Alfredo Marziani, Valentina Annachiara Orlando, Arianna delle Fontane, Martina Minelli, Maria Chironna
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2024-05-01 |
Deskripsi
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.