Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30202920›Full record

ArticleClinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America2019

Oral Versus Aerosolized Ribavirin for the Treatment of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients.

Farnaz Foolad, Samuel L Aitken, Terri Lynn Shigle, Amrita Prayag, Shashank Ghantoji, Ella Ariza-Heredia, Roy F Chemaly

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
45citing papers in PubMed, 4 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

45 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  9. RSV: an overview of infection in adults.Pneumonia (Nathan Qld.) · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Farnaz FooladDivision of Pharmacy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Samuel L AitkenDivision of Pharmacy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Terri Lynn ShigleDivision of Pharmacy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Amrita PrayagDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Shashank GhantojiDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Ella Ariza-HerediaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Roy F ChemalyDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.

Funding

Tumor Evolution and Metastasis ProgramP30CA016672 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI Scott Kopetz · 1985 to 2026
$290.8M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA016672
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe use of oral ribavirin (RBV) for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections is not well studied. With the drastic increase in the cost of aerosolized RBV, we aimed to compare outcomes of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients treated with oral or aerosolized RBV for RSV infections.

methodsWe reviewed the records of 124 HCT recipients with RSV infections treated with oral or aerosolized RBV from September 2014 through April 2017. An immunodeficiency scoring index (ISI) was used to classify patients as low, moderate, or high risk for progression to lower respiratory infection (LRI) or death.

resultsSeventy patients (56%) received aerosolized RBV and 54 (44%) oral RBV. Both groups had a 27% rate of progression to LRI (P = 1.00). Mortality rates did not significantly differ between groups (30-day: aerosolized 10%, oral 9%, P = 1.00; 90-day: aerosolized 23%, oral 11%, P = .10). Classification and regression tree analysis identified ISI ≥7 as an independent predictor of 30-day mortality. For patients with ISI ≥7, 30-day mortality was significantly increased overall, yet remained similar between the aerosolized and oral therapy groups (33% for both). After propensity score adjustment, Cox proportional hazards models showed similar mortality rates between oral and aerosolized therapy groups (30-day: hazard ratio [HR], 1.12 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .345-3.65, P = .845).

conclusionsHCT recipients with RSV infections had similar outcomes when treated with aerosolized or oral RBV. Oral ribavirin may be an effective alternative to aerosolized RBV, with potential significant cost savings.

Indexed as

Transplant RecipientsAdministration, InhalationAdministration, OralAdultAgedAntiviral AgentsFemaleHematopoietic Stem Cell TransplantationHumansMaleMedical RecordsMiddle AgedRespiratory Syncytial VirusesRespiratory Syncytial Virus InfectionsRespiratory Tract InfectionsRibavirinAntiviral AgentsRibavirinaerosolized ribavirinhematopoietic cell transplantoral ribavirinoutcomerespiratory syncytial virus

Identifiers

PMID30202920
PMCPMC7108094

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.