How Multiplex-PCR Can Fit Into Diagnostic Testing Strategies for Pneumonia

Current diagnostic methods for lower respiratory specimens typically take one to two days to identify most bacterial pathogens. During that time, clinicians must rely on guideline recommendations and clinical diagnosis to guide empiric therapy, which is not optimized based on the patient’s individual pathogen. The BioFire Pneumonia Panel will provide pathogen identification in a much shorter timeframe and may allow clinicians to optimize targeted pathogen-specific therapy sooner. The BioFire Pneumonia Panel is a rapid multiplex-PCR test that identifies 33 targets, including 18 bacteria, 8 viruses and 7 antimicrobial resistance genes from lower respiratory tract specimens in about an hour. It provides semi-quantitative results (in copies/ml) for 15 of the bacterial targets. This new feature provided by multiplex-PCR testing may help clinicians and laboratorians separate colonizing from pathogenic levels of bacteria.