Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40289699›Full record

Observational studyInfluenza and other respiratory viruses2025

Estimated Incidence Rate of Specific Types of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Hospitalizations Attributable to Respiratory Syncytial Virus Among Adults in Germany Between 2015 and 2019.

Caihua Liang, Aleksandra Polkowska-Kramek, Caroline Lade, Lea J Bayer, Robin Bruyndonckx, Bennet Huebbe, Worku Biyadgie Ewnetu, Pimnara Peerawaranun, Maribel Casas, Thao Mai Phuong Tran and 5 more

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Influenza and other respiratory viruses, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
  3. Article
  4. Article
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

15 authors.

Caihua LiangPfizer Inc, New York, New York, USA.
Aleksandra Polkowska-KramekP95 Epidemiology & Pharmacovigilance, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-0148-7183
Caroline LadePfizer Pharma GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
Lea J BayerPfizer Pharma GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
Robin BruyndonckxP95 Epidemiology & Pharmacovigilance, Leuven, Belgium.
Bennet HuebbePfizer Pharma GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
Worku Biyadgie EwnetuP95 Epidemiology & Pharmacovigilance, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-3650-2016
Pimnara PeerawaranunP95 Epidemiology & Pharmacovigilance, Leuven, Belgium.
Maribel CasasP95 Epidemiology & Pharmacovigilance, Leuven, Belgium.
Thao Mai Phuong TranP95 Epidemiology & Pharmacovigilance, Leuven, Belgium.
Gordon BrestrichPfizer Pharma GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
Christof von EiffPfizer Pharma GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
Bradford D GessnerPfizer Inc, New York, New York, USA.
Elizabeth BegierPfizer Inc, Dublin, Ireland.
Gernot RohdeUniversity Hospital, Medical Clinic I, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.

Funding

Pfizer
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRSV incidence in adults is frequently underestimated due to non-specific symptomatology, limited standard-of-care testing, and lower test sensitivity compared to infants. We conducted a retrospective observational study to estimate RSV-attributable incidence of specific types of cardiorespiratory hospitalizations among adults in Germany between 2015 and 2019.

methodsInformation on hospitalizations and the number of people at risk of hospitalization (denominator) was gathered from a Statutory Health Insurance database. A quasi-Poisson regression model accounting for periodic and aperiodic time trends and virus activity was fitted to estimate the RSV-attributable incidence rate (IR) of four specific cardiovascular hospitalizations (arrhythmia, ischemic heart diseases, chronic heart failure exacerbations, and cerebrovascular diseases) and four specific respiratory hospitalizations (influenza/pneumonia, bronchitis/bronchiolitis, chronic lower respiratory tract diseases, and upper respiratory tract diseases).

resultsThe estimated RSV-attributable IRs of hospitalizations generally increased with age. Among estimated cardiovascular hospitalizations in adults aged ≥ 60 years, arrhythmia and ischemic heart diseases accounted for the highest incidence of RSV-attributable events, followed by chronic heart failure exacerbation, with annual IR ranges of 157-260, 133-214, and 105-169 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. The most frequent RSV-attributable respiratory hospitalizations in adults aged ≥ 60 years were estimated for chronic lower respiratory tract diseases and bronchitis/bronchiolitis, with annual IR ranges of 103-168 and 77-122 per 100,000 person-years, respectively.

conclusionsRSV causes a considerable burden of respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations in adults in Germany, similar to other respiratory viruses (e.g., influenza and SARS-CoV-2). This highlights the need to implement effective prevention strategies, especially for older adults.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesHospitalizationRespiratory Syncytial Virus InfectionsRespiratory Tract InfectionsAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleGermanyHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedRespiratory Syncytial Virus, HumanRetrospective StudiescardiorespiratoryGermanyhospitalizationquasi‐PoissonRSVtime‐series modeling

Identifiers

PMID40289699
PMCPMC12035416

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LicenceCC BY
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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.