Evidence map›Paper›PMID 16038573›Full record

ReviewDrugs & aging2005

Respiratory syncytial virus infection in elderly adults.

Ann R Falsey, Edward E Walsh

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Drugs & aging, 2005. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 126 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
126citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
2.6field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
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

126 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 224 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Benefits of Exercise on Influenza or Pneumonia in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020
    Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Nutrients · 2024
    Trial
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Review
  13. Gingipain proteases from the bacteriumProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

66 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ann R FalseyDepartment of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, New York, USA. ann.falsey@viahealth.org
Edward E Walsh
University of Rochester · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is now recognised as a significant problem in elderly adults. Epidemiological evidence indicates the impact of RSV in older adults may be similar to non-pandemic influenza, both in the community and in long-term care facilities. Attack rates in nursing homes are approximately 5-10% per year with significant rates of pneumonia (10-20%) and death (2-5%). Estimates using US health care databases and viral surveillance results over a 9-year period indicate that RSV infection causes approximately 10,000 all-cause deaths annually among persons >64 years of age. In contrast, influenza A accounted for approximately 37,000 yearly deaths in the same age group. The clinical features of RSV infection may be difficult to distinguish from those of influenza but include nasal congestion, cough, wheezing and low-grade fever. Older persons with underlying heart and lung disease and immunocompromised patients are at highest risk for RSV infection-related pneumonia and death. Diagnosis of RSV infection in adults is difficult because viral culture and antigen detection are insensitive, presumably because of low viral titres. The combination of serology and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay offers the best sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of RSV but unfortunately these techniques are not widely available; consequently, most adult RSV disease goes unrecognised. Although treatment of RSV infection in the elderly is largely supportive, early therapy with ribavirin and intravenous gamma-globulin improves survival in immunocompromised persons. An effective RSV vaccine has not yet been developed. Therefore, prevention of RSV is limited to standard infection control practices, such as hand washing and the use of gowns and gloves.

Indexed as

Respiratory Syncytial Virus InfectionsAgedAged, 80 and overHomes for the AgedHumansLong-Term CareNursing HomesRespiratory Syncytial Virus, HumanVaccination

Identifiers

PMID16038573
PMCPMC7099998
OpenAlexW2035005271

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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 OpenQuestion graph.