Incidence and Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospitalizations Among People 65 and Older in France: A National Hospital Database Study

Category	Detail
Condition	Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection causing severe respiratory illness in elderly adults
Key Mechanisms	Age-related immune decline and chronic comorbidities increase susceptibility; RSV causes respiratory infections and exacerbates underlying diseases
Target Population	Adults aged 75+ and high-risk adults aged 65–74 with chronic respiratory or cardiac conditions
Care Setting	Hospital inpatient settings including intensive care units in France

RSV hospitalizations in elderly are underreported due to diagnostic challenges and lack of standardized testing.
Adjusted RSV hospitalization incidence ranges from 85 to 221 per 100,000 in adults 75+, and 161 to 735 per 100,000 in high-risk adults 65–74.
RSV hospitalizations in elderly lead to significant mortality (8.9%–10.4%) and high healthcare costs (€27–76 million annually), with ICU admissions driving costs.

RSV diagnosis in elderly is complicated by symptom overlap with other respiratory infections; laboratory confirmation via multiplex PCR is recommended.
Standardized RSV testing guidelines for adults are needed to improve detection and reporting.

No etiologic treatment for RSV currently exists; management focuses on supportive care and addressing exacerbations of chronic conditions.
Targeted vaccination programs are recommended for adults aged 75+ and those aged 65+ with respiratory or cardiac comorbidities.

Monitor hospitalized elderly patients for respiratory decompensation and secondary infections.
Track ICU admissions and length of stay to assess severity and resource utilization.

Older adults with chronic diseases are at increased risk of severe RSV infection, hospitalization, ICU admission, and mortality.
Underreporting of RSV cases may delay appropriate preventive measures.

Elderly adults aged 65 and above, particularly those 75+ and high-risk 65–74 with chronic respiratory or cardiac conditions

Vaccination is advised to reduce hospitalization rates, mortality, and healthcare costs; no direct antiviral treatment is currently available.

Implement systematic RSV testing using multiplex PCR in hospitalized elderly patients with respiratory symptoms.
Apply correction factors to hospitalization data to account for underreporting in epidemiological assessments.
Prioritize vaccination for adults aged 75+ and high-risk adults aged 65–74 with chronic conditions to mitigate RSV burden.
Use national hospital discharge databases combined with virological data to accurately estimate RSV burden and guide healthcare planning.

Clinical Scorecard: Hospitalization Rates and Impact of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in the Elderly Population Aged 65 and Above in France: Insights from a National Database Analysis