Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To investigate the application value of metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) technology in the diagnosis and treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.
METHODS Retrospective analysis was conducted on 120 children diagnosed with M. pneumoniae pneumonia and hospitalized at the First People′s Hospital of Bengbu City from Jan. to Dec. 2023. Clinical data, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and blood samples were collected for mNGS and traditional pathogenic detection method, the positive rates and etiological distribution of pathogens were compared.
RESULTS A total of 223 pathogens were identified from the study objects, while 218 were identified by mNGS, including 46 bacterial strains, 120 M. pneumoniae strains, 51 viral strains, 1 fungal strain, and 125 strains were identified by the traditional method, including 7 bacterial strains, 27 viral strains, and 91 M. pneumoniae strains. The detection rates of bacteria, viruses, and M. pneumoniae by mNGS were significantly higher than those by traditional methods (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION Children with M. pneumoniae clinically tend to have mixed infections. Compared with traditional pathogen detection method, mNGS takes less time and has higher diagnostic efficiency.