Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31382895›Full record

SynthesisBMC geriatrics2019

The burden of respiratory infections among older adults in long-term care: a systematic review.

Arielle Childs, Andrew R Zullo, Nina R Joyce, Kevin W McConeghy, Robertus van Aalst, Patience Moyo, Elliott Bosco, Vincent Mor, Stefan Gravenstein

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC geriatrics, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 73 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
73citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
17.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 120 citations in OpenAlex.

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  15. [Recommendations on prevention and treatment of respiratory infections in institutionalised older people].Revista espanola de quimioterapia : publicacion oficial de la Sociedad Espanola de Quimioterapia · 2025
    Review
  16. Article
  17. Hospitalisation due to respiratory syncytial virus in a population-based cohort of older adults in Spain, 2016/17 to 2019/20.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2025
    Article
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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

9 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Arielle ChildsDepartment of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.
Andrew R ZulloDepartment of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA. andrew_zullo@brown.edu.ORCID 0000-0003-1673-4570
Nina R JoyceDepartment of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.
Kevin W McConeghyDepartment of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Box G-S121-8, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
Robertus van AalstSanofi Pasteur, Swiftwater, PA, USA.
Patience MoyoDepartment of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Box G-S121-8, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
Elliott BoscoDepartment of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Box G-S121-8, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
Vincent MorDepartment of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Box G-S121-8, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
Stefan GravensteinDepartment of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Box G-S121-8, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
Brown University · USUniversity Medical Center Groningen · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRespiratory infections among older adults in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are a major global concern, yet a rigorous systematic synthesis of the literature on the burden of respiratory infections in the LTCF setting is lacking. To address the critical need for evidence regarding the global burden of respiratory infections in LTCFs, we assessed the burden of respiratory infections in LTCFs through a systematic review of the published literature.

methodsWe identified articles published between April 1964 and March 2019 through searches of PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. Experimental and observational studies published in English that included adults aged ≥60 residing in LTCFs who were unvaccinated (to identify the natural infection burden), and that reported measures of occurrence for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or pneumonia were included. Disagreements about article inclusion were discussed and articles were included based on consensus. Data on study design, population, and findings were extracted from each article. Findings were synthesized qualitatively.

resultsA total of 1451 articles were screened for eligibility, 345 were selected for full-text review, and 26 were included. Study population mean ages ranged from 70.8 to 90.1 years. Three (12%) studies reported influenza estimates, 7 (27%) RSV, and 16 (62%) pneumonia. Eighteen (69%) studies reported incidence estimates, 7 (27%) prevalence estimates, and 1 (4%) both. Seven (27%) studies reported outbreaks. Respiratory infection incidence estimates ranged from 1.1 to 85.2% and prevalence estimates ranging from 1.4 to 55.8%. Influenza incidences ranged from 5.9 to 85.2%. RSV incidence proportions ranged from 1.1 to 13.5%. Pneumonia prevalence proportions ranged from 1.4 to 55.8% while incidence proportions ranged from 4.8 to 41.2%.

conclusionsThe reported incidence and prevalence estimates of respiratory infections among older LTCF residents varied widely between published studies. The wide range of estimates offers little useful guidance for decision-making to decrease respiratory infection burden. Large, well-designed epidemiologic studies are therefore still necessary to credibly quantify the burden of respiratory infections among older adults in LTCFs, which will ultimately help inform future surveillance and intervention efforts.

Indexed as

Cost of IllnessAgedAged, 80 and overDelivery of Health CareHumansLong-Term CareRespiratory Tract InfectionsRisk FactorsFrail elderlyNursing homesRespiratory syncytial virus infectionsRespiratory tract infectionsSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID31382895
PMCPMC6683564
OpenAlexW2964719344

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.