YOUR ADULT PATIENTS’ PROGRESS MAY BE CUT SHORT BY RSV1

 

Older adult patients, including those with certain comorbidities, are at an increased risk of severe RSV1

 

RSV is a common and contagious respiratory virus that can cause severe infections of the lower respiratory tract and can result in pneumonia or exacerbations of COPD, asthma, and HF.1

Severe RSV can lead to hospitalization and even death2

Each year in the United States, approximately 177,000 adults aged 65 years and older are hospitalized due to RSV infection
  • *

    Physician’s office address or, if missing, the preferred mailing address was used to determine whether an active physician is in the United States.4

Recognize the threat of severe RSV for older adult patients

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In a study conducted between January 2011 and June 2015 among patients aged 60 years or older hospitalized with RSV (N=645)5†:

43 percent of survivors were admitted for greater than or equal to 7 days
18% of survivors were admitted to the ICU
17% of survivors were readmitted within 30 days
  • †

    An observational, retrospective, cohort study conducted at an integrated health system evaluated adults aged ≥60 years hospitalized with RSV infection (n=645) or influenza infection (n=1878) over 5 consecutive seasons between January 2011 and June 2015 to compare demographics, prehospitalization characteristics, hospital utilization, and clinical outcomes.5

See how severe RSV can impact patients

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Patients aged 60 years and older who were hospitalized with RSV experienced serious clinical outcomes5

 

Rates of events during hospitalization among adults aged 60 years or older with RSV5‡:

37.7

%

Cardiovascular complications§

18.9%

Acute renal failure

16.9%

Respiratory exacerbations||

  • ‡

    An observational, retrospective, cohort study conducted at an integrated healthcare system evaluated adults aged ≥60 years hospitalized with RSV infection (n=645) or influenza A/B infection (n=1878) over 5 consecutive seasons between January 2011 and June 2015 to compare demographics, prehospitalization characteristics, hospital utilization, and clinical outcomes. Patients with RSV had the following rates of comorbidities 1 year prior to admission: 32.2% had ischemic heart disease; 35.3% had CHF; 38.9% had diabetes; 29.8% had COPD, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema; 26.0% had asthma; and 5.6% had end-stage renal disease.5

  • §

    Defined as myocardial infarction, pericarditis, endocarditis, myocarditis, or atrial fibrillation.5

  • ||

    Defined as exacerbation of COPD, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema.5

Talk to your adult patients about the threat of severe RSV

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See Irene’s journey with RSV

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AAMC=Association of American Medical Colleges; CHF=congestive heart failure; COPD=chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; HF=heart failure; ICU=intensive care unit; RSV=respiratory syncytial virus.

References

  1. Respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSV). RSV in adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed March 3, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/adults/

  2. Falsey AR, Hennessey PA, Formica MA, Cox C, Walsh EE. Respiratory syncytial virus infection in elderly and high-risk adults. N Engl J Med. 2005;352(17):1749-1759. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa043951 

  3. American Association of Medical Colleges. US Physician Workforce Data Dashboard. Accessed March 2, 2026. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/report/us-physician-workforce-data-dashboard

  4. Association of American Medical Colleges. US Physician Workforce Data Dashboard Methods. Accessed March 6, 2026. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/data/us-physician-workforce-data-dashboard-methods

  5. Ackerson B, Tseng HF, Sy LS, et al. Severe morbidity and mortality associated with respiratory syncytial virus versus influenza infection in hospitalized older adults. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;69(2):197-203. doi:10.1093/cid/ciy991