Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40754579›Full record

SynthesisBMC medicine2025

Estimating the respiratory syncytial virus-associated hospitalisation burden in older adults in European countries: a systematic analysis.

Tiantian Zhang, Rachel M Reeves, Shihao Ma, Yumeng Miao, Shiqi Sun, Alejandro Orrico-Sánchez, Marcus Panning, Arantxa Urchueguía-Fornes, Danielle Vuichard-Gysin, Harish Nair and 5 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Characteristics and outcomes of adult patients hospitalised with RSV infection, influenza or COVID-19 in Belgium, winter seasons 2023/24 and 2024/25.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2026
    Article
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  5. Observational
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  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Tiantian ZhangDepartment of Epidemiology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Rachel M ReevesGSK, Philadelphia, US. rachel.m.reeves@gsk.com.
Shihao MaDepartment of Epidemiology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Yumeng MiaoDepartment of Epidemiology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Shiqi SunDepartment of Epidemiology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Alejandro Orrico-SánchezVaccine Research Department, Fisabio-Public Health, Valencia, Spain.
Marcus PanningInstitute of Virology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Arantxa Urchueguía-FornesVaccine Research Department, Fisabio-Public Health, Valencia, Spain.
Danielle Vuichard-GysinDivision of Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention, Thurgau Hospital Group, Münsterlingen and Frauenfeld, Switzerland.
Harish NairDepartment of Biostatistics, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Maria João FonsecaGSK, Lisbon, Portugal.
Alen MarijamGSK, Munich, Germany.
Xin WangDepartment of Biostatistics, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. Xin.Wang@njmu.edu.cn.
You LiDepartment of Epidemiology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. You.Li@njmu.edu.cn.
Respiratory Virus Global Epidemiology Network

Funding

GSK VEO-000553
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWith respiratory syncytial virus vaccines recently approved for use among older adults, country-level respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease burden estimates are needed to inform local RSV immunisation strategy. We aimed to estimate country-level RSV hospitalisation burden in older adults in Europe.

methodsWe compiled data on RSV hospitalisation burden in adults aged ≥ 60 years in Europe from published studies (systematic review: PROSPERO CRD42024516945), surveillance data, and unpublished data from international collaborators. We adjusted for diagnostic testing, clinical specimens, and case definitions through statistical modelling techniques and generated country-level hospitalisation rate estimates; for countries with no available data, we developed an ensemble model to predict RSV hospitalisation rates. We also estimated RSV in-hospital case fatality ratio (hCFR) for countries with available data.

resultsWe included 14 studies (3 unpublished studies). The adjusted RSV-associated hospitalisation rates were overall 2.2 to 6.4 times higher than unadjusted estimates. Among 5 countries with available data, adjusted annual RSV hospitalisation rates ranged from 193/100,000 person-years in the Netherlands (95% confidence interval [CI]: 125-304) and Finland (141-274) to 414/100,000 in Denmark (322-514). The RSV hospitalisation rates predicted by the ensemble model in 23 additional countries ranged from 223/100,000 to 317/100,000 person-years. RSV hCFR ranged from 6.73% (4.63-9.69) in Spain to 10.14% (4.91-19.79) in Switzerland.

conclusionsThis study addresses knowledge gaps in RSV hospitalisation burden among older adults in Europe while highlighting the importance of adjusting for RSV case under-ascertainment. These findings might be relevant for country's considerations of RSV immunisation strategies for older adults.

Indexed as

Cost of IllnessHospitalizationRespiratory Syncytial Virus InfectionsAgedAged, 80 and overEuropeFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRespiratory Syncytial Virus, HumanBurden of diseaseHospitalisationOlder adultsRespiratory syncytial virus

Identifiers

PMID40754579
PMCPMC12320330

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.