Targeted next-generation sequencing using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples for diagnosing pulmonary infections: a single-center retrospective study

Infectious diseases, among which lower respiratory tract infections are the most common, are a major global concern. The conventional microbiological tests (CMTs) cannot adequately address the requirements of clinical practice. Targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) has been recently developed to identify the most prevalent pathogen types in clinical settings. In addition to exhibiting enhanced sensitivity, this approach markedly reduces turnaround times and detection costs , thereby mitigating the economic burden on patients. Nevertheless, reports describing its diagnostic value for multiple pathogens in PIs are limited, particularly concerning the absence or lack of representative data on diagnostic specificity. Herein, we retrospectively analyzed the tNGS pathogen detection results in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from 110 patients initially diagnosed with PIs. CMTs, traditional culture, and tNGS were simultaneously performed, and the diagnostic efficiencies of the three methods for PIs were compared. We reported this study in order to evaluate the diagnostic value of tNGS using BALF samples in patients with PIs.