Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35418022›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2022

Clinical impact of a metagenomic microbial plasma cell-free DNA next-generation sequencing assay on treatment decisions: a single-center retrospective study.

Akira A Shishido, Myint Noe, Kapil Saharia, Paul Luethy

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed
10.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 53 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. DisseminatedASM case reports · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Akira A ShishidoDivision of Infectious Diseases, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA. ashishido@som.umaryland.edu.
Myint NoeLee Health, Fort Myers, FL, USA.
Kapil SahariaDivision of Infectious Diseases, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Paul LuethyDepartment of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
University of Maryland, Baltimore · USLee Memorial Health System · USUniversity of Maryland Medical Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMetagenomic next-generation sequencing of microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) allows for non-invasive pathogen detection from plasma. However, there is little data describing the optimal role for this assay in real-world clinical decision making.

methodsWe performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of adult patients for whom a mcfDNA (Karius©) test was sent between May 2019 and February 2021. Clinical impact was arbitrated after review and discussion of each case.

resultsA total of 80 patients were included. The most common reason for sending the assay was unknown microbiologic diagnosis (78%), followed by avoiding invasive procedures (14%). The test had a positive impact in 34 (43%), a negative impact in 2 (3%), and uncertain or no impact in 44 (55%). A positive impact was observed in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR, 71.4%, p = 0.003), sepsis (71.4%, p = 0.003), and those receiving antimicrobial agents for less than 7 days prior to mcfDNA testing (i.e., 61.8%, p = 0.004). Positive impact was driven primarily by de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy.

conclusionClinical impact of mcfDNA testing was highest in SOTR, patients with sepsis and patients who had been on antimicrobial therapy for less than 7 days. Positive impact was driven by de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy which may highlight a potential role for mcfDNA in the realm of stewardship.

Indexed as

Anti-Infective AgentsCell-Free Nucleic AcidsSepsisAdultAnti-Bacterial AgentsHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansRetrospective StudiesAnti-Bacterial AgentsAnti-Infective AgentsCell-Free Nucleic AcidsCell-free DNAKarius©Next-generation sequencingSepsisTransplant infectious disease

Identifiers

PMID35418022
PMCPMC9006594
OpenAlexW4223506595

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.