The following is a summary of “Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Are at Increased Risk of Hospitalization Due to Respiratory Syncytial Virus,” published in the August 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Smith et al.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at high risk of respiratory infections, including those caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Researchers conducted a retrospective study determining if patients with IBD have a higher risk of severe RSV infection.

They analyzed the TriNetX research network to evaluate hospitalization risk for patients with IBD vs. a non-IBD control group with RSV infection (January 1, 2007, to February 27, 2023). The one-to-one (1:1) propensity score matching for demographic factors and RSV risk factors between the 2 groups was performed. The risk was reported as aOR with a 95% CI.

The results showed 794 patients in the IBD-RSV cohort and 93,074 in the non–IBD-RSV cohort. The IBD-RSV cohort had a mean age of 55.6 ± 20 years, with 59% female, 80% White, and 56.9% having Crohn’s disease (CD). The cohort had a higher risk of hospitalization (aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.06–1.59). No difference was found in the risk of hospitalization-related complications between the 2 groups (aOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.58–1.19). Recent systemic corticosteroid use (<3 months) was linked to an elevated risk of hospitalization in the IBD-RSV cohort (aOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.30–2.59).

Investigators concluded that adult patients with IBD-RSV infection have a higher risk of hospitalization and may benefit from the RSV vaccine.

Source: journals.lww.com/ajg/fulltext/2024/08000/patients_with_inflammatory_bowel_disease_are_at.19.aspx