Comparison of targeted next-generation sequencing and conventional tests for pathogen detection in community-acquired and severe community-acquired pneumonia: a retrospective cohort study.

BackgroundCommunity-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP) impose a significant burden on the healthcare system. As a more severe form of CAP, sCAP is associated with a higher mortality rate, and patients frequently require intensive care. Identifying clinical biomarkers to distinguish CAP from sCAP is expected to improve pneumonia management and patient outcomes. Targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) has considerable potential for pathogen detection and distinguishing microbial profile differences between CAP and sCAP.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 380 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from patients diagnosed with CAP or sCAP who underwent both conventional tests (CTs) and tNGS to identify and compare the pathogen species and clinical consistency.ResultsThe results were as follows: tNGS demonstrated a significantly higher clinical consistency rate with the final diagnosis (83.02%) than CTs (38.37%), with a statistically significant difference (p