Abstract
Bloodstream infection (BSI) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. If we can make early diagnosis and start effective antibiotic treatment in time, the hospitalization time of patients with bloodstream infection can be significantly shortened. However, the current diagnosis of bloodstream infection cannot achieve the ideal therapeutic effect to a large extent because of the matrix effect of blood and the long turnaround time of blood culture. Therefore, a new detection method with a short turnaround time and high sensitivity is needed for the early diagnosis and timely treatment to improve the prognosis of patients. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a recently developed method for the comprehensive analysis of all microorganisms and genetic materials in clinical samples and is expected to be the main method for the early diagnosis of bloodstream infections. This review discusses the clinical application of mNGS in bloodstream infections. We also discuss technical challenges that need to be addressed to improve the diagnostic applicability of mNGS.
Highlights
Bloodstream infection is a serious systemic infection, which may lead to septic shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, multiple organ failure, and even death
A new detection method with a short turnaround time and high sensitivity is needed for the early diagnosis and timely treatment to improve the prognosis of patients
MNGS has the characteristics of no preference, high sensitivity, and strong specificity, it can be considered as a promising molecular biological detection method for early diagnosis of bloodstream infection
Summary
Bloodstream infection is a serious systemic infection, which may lead to septic shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, multiple organ failure, and even death. The annual mortality rate of patients with bloodstream infections is be-. For patients with severe sepsis or septic shock, the mortality rate can reach 46%, the hospitalization time is long and hospitalization costs are high [2]. Studies have confirmed that with every hour delay in the use of empirical antibiotics, the risk of death increases linearly [4]. Studies have reported that unnecessary empirical treatment increases the risk of Clostridium labile infection by 26%, which is a more serious trend of kidney injury and may lead to an increased risk of antibiotic resistance [5]. MNGS has the characteristics of no preference, high sensitivity, and strong specificity, it can be considered as a promising molecular biological detection method for early diagnosis of bloodstream infection
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
