Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31206246›Full record

ArticleInfluenza and other respiratory viruses2020

Evaluation of using ICD-10 code data for respiratory syncytial virus surveillance.

Wei Cai, Kristin Tolksdorf, Siddhivinayak Hirve, Ekkehard Schuler, Wenqing Zhang, Walter Haas, Silke Buda

Open access · goldAbstract readEvaluation Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Influenza and other respiratory viruses, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 73 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
73citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
4.3field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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

73 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 129 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The risk of cardiac disease events after respiratory syncytial virus disease: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026
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13 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

7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Wei CaiRespiratory Infections Unit, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8650-4880
Kristin TolksdorfRespiratory Infections Unit, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Siddhivinayak HirveGlobal Influenza Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-9651-7789
Ekkehard SchulerHELIOS KLINIKEN GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
Wenqing ZhangGlobal Influenza Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Walter HaasRespiratory Infections Unit, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Silke BudaRespiratory Infections Unit, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Robert Koch Institute · DEWorld Meteorological Organization · CHHelios Kliniken · DE

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI) in young children. ICD-10-based syndromic surveillance can transmit data rapidly in a standardized way.

objectivesWe investigated the use of RSV-specific ICD-10 codes for RSV surveillance.

methodsWe performed a retrospective descriptive data analysis based on existing ICD-10-based surveillance systems for ALRI in primary and secondary care and a linked virological surveillance in Germany. We described RSV epidemiology and compared the epidemiological findings based on ICD-10 and virological data. We calculated sensitivity and specificity of RSV-specific ICD-10 codes and in combination with ICD-10 codes for acute respiratory infections (ARI) for the identification of laboratory-confirmed RSV infections.

resultsBased on the ICD-10 and virological data, epidemiology of RSV was described, and common findings were found. The RSV-specific ICD-10 codes had poor sensitivity 6% (95%-CI: 3%-12%) and high specificity 99.8% (95%-CI: 99.6%-99.9%). In children <5 years and in RSV seasons, the sensitivities of RSV-specific ICD-10 codes combined with general ALRI ICD-10 codes J18.-, J20.- and with J12.-, J18.-, J20.-, J21.-, J22 were moderate (44%, 95%-CI: 30%-59%). The specificities of both combinations remained high (91%, 95%-CI: 86%-94%; 90%, 95%-CI: 85%-94%).

conclusionsThe use of RSV-specific ICD-10 codes may be a useful indicator to describe RSV epidemiology. However, RSV-specific ICD-10 codes underestimate the number of actual RSV infections. This can be overcome by combining RSV-specific and general ALRI ICD-10 codes. Further investigations are required to validate this approach in other settings.

Indexed as

International Classification of DiseasesFemaleGermanyHumansMalePopulation SurveillanceRespiratory Syncytial Virus, HumanRespiratory Syncytial Virus InfectionsRespiratory Tract InfectionsRetrospective StudiesSeasonsSensitivity and SpecificityepidemiologyICD-10 coderespiratory syncytial virussensitivityspecificitysurveillance

Identifiers

PMID31206246
PMCPMC7578302
OpenAlexW2950393407

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.