Turkish Archives of Pediatrics
Original Article

Comparison of Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction and Culture for Targeting Pathogens in Pediatric Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

1.

Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Can Tho City, Vietnam

2.

Laboratory of Nam Khoa Biotek Company, Vietnam Research and Development Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Turk Arch Pediatr 2024; 59: 383-389
DOI: 10.5152/TurkArchPediatr.2024.24005
Read: 526 Downloads: 209 Published: 17 June 2024

Objective: This study aims to determine the frequency of pathogen detection by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the frequency of pathogen isolation by culture; and compare the value of real-time PCR and culture of nasopharyngeal aspiration samples in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP).

Materials and Methods: It was a prospective and descriptive study. All pediatric patients diagnosed with sCAP were performed real-time PCR and culture of nasopharyngeal aspiration samples.

Results: A total of 336 patient samples were obtained from children with sCAP. Real-time PCR detected pathogens in 312 patients (92.9%), while culture isolated bacteria in 228 patients (67.9%). Coinfections were reported in 279 cases (83.0%) through real-time PCR. The frequency of agreement between culture and real-time PCR was quite high (P < .001).

Conclusion: Real-time PCR demonstrated more ability for detecting microorganisms than culture. This finding highlighted the value of real-time PCR for targeting pathogens in children with sCAP, particularly in cases involving complex pathogens or those requiring timely identification.

Cite this article as: Quang Tran K, Hung Pham V, Minh Vo C, Minh Pham Q, Minh Nguyen P. Comparison of real-time PCR and culture for targeting pathogens in pediatric severe community-acquired pneumonia. Turk Arch Pediatr. 2024;59(4):383-389.

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