ArticleCritical care (London, England)2018
Evaluation of a real-time PCR assay for detection and quantification of bacterial DNA directly in blood of preterm neonates with suspected late-onset sepsis.
Article in Critical care (London, England), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Molecular assays for the diagnosis of sepsis in neonates: a diagnostic test accuracy review.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Clinical Utility of Molecular Tests for Guiding Therapeutic Decisions in Bloodstream Staphylococcal Infections: A Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Pooled it
- A Review of Probiotic Interventions for Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Sepsis in Preterm Infants.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Multiplex droplet digital polymerase chain reaction for rapid diagnosing suspected bloodstream infections in patients with hematologic malignancies.Translational cancer research · 2026Article
- A Comprehensive Evaluation of Rapid Diagnostic Methods in Neonatal Sepsis: Evaluating Their Accuracy, Turnaround Time, and Impact on Antibiotic Stewardship and Clinical Outcomes.Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2025Article
- Dynamic Profiling of Lipoteichoic Acid (LTA) and/or Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) Positive Extracellular Vesicles in Plasma as Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers for Bacterial Infection.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025Article
- Pharmacodynamics of Vancomycin Against Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Bloodstream Infections.Pharmacology research & perspectives · 2025Review
- Differential roles of interleukin-6 and adrenomedullin in early diagnosis and mortality predictions in late-onset neonatal sepsis.Clinical and experimental pediatrics · 2025Article
- Leveraging innovative diagnostics as a tool to contain superbugs.Antonie van Leeuwenhoek · 2025Review
- Leveraging innovative diagnostics as a tool to contain superbugs.Antonie van Leeuwenhoek · 2025Review
- Bacterial DNA detection in blood using PCR/ESI-MS in neonates with suspected early onset infection.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Observational
- Neonatal Sepsis: Aetiology, Pathophysiology, Diagnostic Advances and Management Strategies.Clinical medicine insights. Pediatrics · 2024Review
- Effects of Sepsis on Immune Response, Microbiome and Oxidative Metabolism in Preterm Infants.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Performance of real-time PCR in suspected haemodialysis catheter-related bloodstream infection: a proof-of-concept study.Clinical kidney journal · 2023Article
- Predicting treatment response to vancomycin using bacterial DNA load as a pharmacodynamic marker in premature and very low birth weight neonates: A population PKPD study.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Article
- Multiple Polymerase Chain Reaction for Direct Detection of Bloodstream Infection After Cardiac Surgery in a PICU.Critical care explorations · 2022Article
- Bacterial DNA load in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is significantly higher in intravascular infections.PloS one · 2022Article
- Article
- Is quantitative ultrasound a measure for metabolic bone disease in preterm-born infants? A prospective subcohort study.European journal of pediatrics · 2021Article
- Machine Learning Approaches to Predict In-Hospital Mortality among Neonates with Clinically Suspected Sepsis in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.Journal of personalized medicine · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundRapid and accurate diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is highly warranted because of high associated morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a novel multiplex PCR assay for diagnosis of late-onset sepsis and to investigate the value of bacterial DNA load (BDL) determination as a measure of infection severity.
methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit. Preterm and/or very low birth weight infants suspected for late-onset sepsis were included. Upon suspicion of sepsis, a whole blood sample was drawn for multiplex PCR to detect the eight most common bacteria causing neonatal sepsis, as well as for blood culture. BDL was determined in episodes with a positive multiplex PCR.
resultsIn total, 91 episodes of suspected sepsis were investigated, and PCR was positive in 53 (58%) and blood culture in 60 (66%) episodes, yielding no significant difference in detection rate (p = 0.17). Multiplex PCR showed a sensitivity of 77%, specificity of 81%, positive predictive value of 87%, and negative predictive value of 68% compared with blood culture. Episodes with discordant results of PCR and blood culture included mainly detection of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). C-reactive protein (CRP) level and immature to total neutrophil (I/T) ratio were lower in these episodes, indicating less severe disease or even contamination. Median BDL was high (4.1 log
conclusionsMultiplex PCR provides a powerful assay to enhance rapid identification of the causative pathogen in late-onset sepsis. BDL measurement may be a useful indicator of severity of infection.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.