The Real-World Clinical Impact of Plasma mNGS Testing: an Observational Study

In this study, we show that although plasma mNGS testing significantly improved the detection rate of tested samples, nearly one in four (24.5%, 48/196) mNGS tests reported organisms were not clinically relevant, emphasizing the importance of cautious interpretation and infectious disease consultation. Moreover, based on clinical adjudication, plasma mNGS testing resulted in no or a negative impact in nearly half (43.5%, 64/147) of patients in the current study, indicating that how best to integrate this advanced method into current infectious disease diagnostic frameworks to maximize its clinical utility in real-world practice is an important question.