The Real-World Clinical Impact of Plasma mNGS Testing: an Observational Study

• DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03983-22
• Publication Date: 2023-03-22T14:21:16Z
• Authors: Dongsheng Han; Fei Yu; Dan Zhang; Qing Yang; Mengxiao Xie; Lingjun Yuan; Jieyuan Zheng; Jingchao Wang; Jieting Zhou; Yanyan Xiao; Shufa Zheng; Yu Chen
• Keywords: 3. Good health; Research Article

In this study, we show that although plasma mNGS testing significantly improved the detection rate of tested samples, nearly one in four (24.5%, 48/196) mNGS tests reported organisms were not clinically relevant, emphasizing the importance of cautious interpretation and infectious disease consultation. Moreover, based on clinical adjudication, plasma mNGS testing resulted in no or a negative impact in nearly half (43.5%, 64/147) of patients in the current study, indicating that how best to integrate this advanced method into current infectious disease diagnostic frameworks to maximize its clinical utility in real-world practice is an important question.