Estimation of Respiratory Syncytial Virus-attributable Hospitalizations among Older Adults in Japan between 2015 and 2018: an Administrative Health Claims Database Analysis

Objective

We estimated the incidence rates (IRs) of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related hospitalizations among adults aged ≥60 years in Japan from 2015 to 2018, using a model-based approach to better understand the disease burden.

Methods

We obtained hospitalization data from the Medical Data Vision (MDV) database, restricted to Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) hospitals. We estimated the annual age-specific RSV-attributable IR of hospitalizations for five cardiorespiratory outcomes based on selected ICD-10 codes employing a quasi-Poisson regression model. We projected our results to all DPC hospitals in Japan and also to all Japanese hospitals.

Results

In adults aged ≥60 years, the annual IR of RSV-attributable cardiorespiratory hospitalizations at DPC hospitals was estimated at between 100 and 124 per 100,000 person-years, projecting to 134 to 229 cardiorespiratory hospitalizations per 100,000 person-years at all hospitals. For respiratory hospitalizations at DPC hospitals, the annual IR was from 69 to 85 per 100,000 person-years (projecting to 96 to 157 hospitalizations per 100,000 person-years at all hospitals). IRs for all outcomes were consistently higher among adults aged ≥80 years than those 60-79 years.

Conclusion

Our results indicate a high burden of RSV-attributable hospitalizations in older adults in Japan, highlighting the need to implement effective RSV prevention strategies.

Highlights

• RSV-attributable hospitalizations were estimated among older adults in Japan

• We used data from national hospitals and a comprehensive list of ICD-10 codes

• We performed a time series analysis utilizing a quasi-Poisson regression model

• RSV causes significant cardiorespiratory hospitalizations in older adults

• Future RSV burden studies should consider respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes