Evaluation of a multiplex PCR kit for detection of 17 respiratory pathogens in hospitalized patients.

Background: Rapid pathogen identification is critical for optimizing diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a sensitive, broad-spectrum molecular detection technique that is simple and rapid to perform. It is capable of simultaneously screening for multiple pathogens within a short time range. Here, we designed and evaluated a multiplex PCR kit for the identification of 17 common respiratory pathogens in clinical samples from hospitalized patients. Methods: A total of 452 samples from hospitalized patients, including 242 respiratory and 210 non-respiratory samples, were analyzed for 13 bacteria and 4 fungi by a multiplex fluorescent PCR kit. The diagnostic performance of the kit was assessed by considering routine microbiology as the reference standard. Results: The overall positivity rate of the multiplex PCR kit was 86.9%, much higher than that noted on routine microbiology (56.9%). Furthermore, the co-infection detection rate was also significantly higher than that noted on routine microbiology (69.5% Conclusions: Our multiplex PCR kit offers a rapid and sensitive diagnosis of common bacterial pneumonia, although sensitivity for mycobacteria and fungi warrants enhancement. Further optimization includes minimizing false positivity and increasing relevance to clinical application.