Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40539015›Full record

ArticlePediatric investigation2025

Efficacy of microbial cell-free DNA testing for detecting pathogens in pediatric patients with head and neck infections-An initial study.

Audrey Xu, Andrea Miranda, Hung Fu Lin, Taseer Din, Karthik Balakrishnan, Mai Thy Truong, Iram Ahmad, Kara Meister

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric investigation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

8 authors.

Audrey XuProgram in Human Biology, School of Humanities & Sciences Stanford University Stanford California USA.
Andrea MirandaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California USA.
Hung Fu LinDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California USA.
Taseer DinDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California USA.
Karthik BalakrishnanDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California USA.
Mai Thy TruongDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California USA.
Iram AhmadDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California USA.
Kara MeisterDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4983-3068

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We investigate the utility of microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) from the blood to predict surgical culture results. In this study, only 26.9% of patients had mcfDNA results that were considered predictive of the causative organism(s). There was a significant burden of contamination in the cohort, emphasizing that dedicated protocols must be followed when running gene-based diagnostics. Healthy patients showed detectable mcfDNA signals, though typically at lower molecules per milliliter for similar pathogens.

Identifiers

PMID40539015
PMCPMC12175633

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.