Specific Diagnostic Tests for Atypical Respiratory Tract Pathogens

New Diagnostic Tests for Pneumonia: What is Their Role in Clinical Practice?

“…Although PCR methods have been developed for several pneumonia pathogens, the clinical utility of these tests varies. [25][26][27][28][29] There are several advantages of PCR testing methods as compared with standard microbiological culture methods in the detection of pneumonia pathogens (Box 1). PCR is a potentially attractive diagnostic tool for rapid diagnosis because it does not rely on bacterial growth or the viability of the organism.…”

“…There are several commercially available and/or institutionally developed NAATs for the atypical pathogens. 26,[36][37][38][39][40][41] However, none of these are officially FDA approved or available at the present time in the United States. Despite this, PCR is increasingly being recognized as a method of choice for detection of M pneumoniae and C pneumoniae.…”

“…There are numerous assays described (again non-FDA approved) but with various results of test performances and significant interlaboratory discordance of detection rates. 26,36,37 For tuberculosis (TB), molecular techniques have been valuable. 27 Because the organism can require 3 to 8 weeks to grow in culture, molecular techniques can be useful, allowing appropriate isolation, treatment, and disease control.…”