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| Increase in Preterm RSV Hospitalization Risks Following 2014 RSV Guidance Change |
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| The first national analysis of serious respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in US preterm infants from the two seasons following the 2014 change in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidance on the use of RSV immunoprohylaxis was presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Nexus 2017 meeting on October 18. Results demonstrated a significant increase in RSV hospitalization risks among US preterm infants 29-34 weeks gestational age (wGA) and <6 months of age compared with full-term (FT) infants following the 2014 guidance. Associated with this increase in disease, was a dramatic decrease in RSV immunoprophylaxis use among this population. |
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| Preterm infants 29-34 wGA and <6 months of age were approximately 2.5 to 5 times more likely to be hospitalized than FT infants in 2014-2015, which increased to approximately 3.5 to 5.5 times more likely in 2015-2016. These risks were higher than those observed in seasons prior to the guidance change. |
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| RSV hospitalization costs were also higher among preterm infants compared to full-term infants. The average RSV hospitalization cost during the 2014-2016 RSV seasons for Commercial infants and Medicaid infants 29-34 wGA and <3 months of age was $39,174 and $22,316, respectively. |
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| This study confirms and extends the results of a recently published study that similarly demonstrated a significant national increase in RSV hospitalizations among infants 29-34 wGA who were <3 months of age during the 2014-2015 RSV season compared to the previous four seasons. |
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| RSV hospitalizations were identified using ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes on inpatient claims; confirmatory laboratory results were not available for this study, as insurance claims databases do not provide these results. |
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| Utilization of inpatient RSV immunoprophylaxis among infants <3 months of age discharged from their birth hospitalization during the RSV season is not recorded in claims databases, and this could impact rates of RSVH in this subgroup. RSV immunoprophylaxis use prior to discharge would be expected to reduce RSVH rates in infants <3 months of age. |
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