ReviewSAGE open medicine2026
Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for pathogen identification and antibiotic stewardship in human immunodeficiency virus-associated diarrhea: A retrospective study and systematic review.
Review in SAGE open medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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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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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Diarrhea causes significant morbidity among people living with human immunodeficiency virus. Compared to conventional diagnostic tests, multiplex polymerase chain reaction gastrointestinal panels provide faster and more accurate pathogen detection. Objectives: This study aimed to characterize diarrheal pathogens in people living with human immunodeficiency virus using multiplex gastrointestinal polymerase chain reaction, evaluate their impact on antibiotic use, and synthesize global evidence through a systematic review. Design: We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study at a hospital in the Caribbean region of Colombia from 2020 to 2024. Concurrently, a systematic review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Methods: Adult people living with human immunodeficiency virus hospitalized with diarrhea who underwent testing using a multiplex gastrointestinal polymerase chain reaction panel were included in the cross-sectional study. A systematic review was conducted by searching major electronic databases without geographic or language restrictions. Clinical, microbiological, and treatment-related data were extracted and analyzed. Results: The retrospective study included 49 people living with human immunodeficiency virus hospitalized with diarrhea, while the systematic review analyzed 679 cases across 8 studies. Compared to conventional methods, multiplex polymerase chain reaction panels showed higher overall pathogen detection rates. At least one pathogen was detected in 79.5% of cases in the retrospective study. Bacterial pathogens were the most frequent in both the retrospective (70.1%) and the systematic review studies (58%-80%), with diarrheagenic Conclusion: Multiplex gastrointestinal polymerase chain reaction panels improve pathogen detection and help guide antimicrobial decision-making in people living with human immunodeficiency virus with diarrhea. These findings support the use of molecular diagnostics to enhance clinical management and epidemiological surveillance in this population. Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42025644820).
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