Characteristics and Outcomes of Adults Hospitalized with Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a negative sense single-stranded RNA virus (ssRNA) that primarily causes respiratory infections in both children and older adults. We examined clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized adult patients who tested positive for RSV. Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, descriptive study that examined adult patients admitted with a positive RSV test over two years across eight hospitals in Orlando, Florida. Results: A total of 120 patients were included, of which 88 (73%) were 60 years old and older. Overall, patients with RSV infection were caucasian (62%) with a median age of 70 years and had diabetes mellitus (42%), cardiovascular disease (38%), or chronic respiratory illnesses (36%). Median body mass index (BMI) was 27.8 kg/m2 and median Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was 5. Median hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay were 4 and 3 days, respectively. Median hospital length of stay for patients under and above 60 years old was 4 days. Median hospital length of stay for those admitted to the ICU was 10 days. Only one patient received ribavirin; the rest received supportive care. Inpatient mortality rate was 4% (5 patients), 67 (57%) were treated with supplemental oxygen, and 7 (6%) were treated with mechanical ventilation. Overall, there was a 30-day readmission rate of 18% (21 patients). Symptomatic RSV infection was present in 102 patients. The clinical characteristics of patients admitted to non-ICU settings and symptomatic patients overall were similar to the total 120 patients. Patients admitted to the ICU were a median age of 77 years of age, females (58%), caucasians (67%), and had a history of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (42%). Conclusions: RSV infection in adult hospitalized patients was predominantly seen among caucasian patients aged 60 years and older. Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory disease were the predominant comorbidities in this cohort. Of the 120 hospitalizations included in our study, 102 were considered to be symptomatic for RSV. Mortality in our population was low; however, RSV alone still accounts for significant morbidity and consumption of healthcare resources.