Study on the clinical indications for plasma as an alternative to the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing test to detect consistent pathogens for septic patients in intensive care units

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection,1 rapid and accurate pathogen diagnosis is essential. A recent paper by Yin and colleagues highlights the rapid and high sensitivity of plasma metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for pathogen diagnosis in sepsis.2 However, how the pathogen detected from plasma mcfDNA represents local infection remains unknown, and whether any clinical metrics can be used for optimal blood sampling time for pathogen diagnosis in septic patients remains unclear.