Clinical application of targeted next-generation sequencing utilizing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in thoracic surgery ICU patients with suspected pulmonary infections.

This article evaluates the diagnostic value of targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) for identifying pathogens in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from thoracic surgery intensive care unit (ICU) patients with suspected pulmonary infections. In a prospective study of 50 patients, tNGS demonstrated a significantly higher positive detection rate (96%) and sensitivity (95.83%) compared to traditional pathogen detection (TPD) methods, which include culture and loop-mediated isothermal amplification assays (68% positive rate, 68.75% sensitivity). tNGS identified a broader spectrum of pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, DNA viruses, and RNA viruses, and showed particular strength in detecting mixed and atypical infections. The study concludes that tNGS is a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective diagnostic tool that can enhance pathogen detection and potentially improve clinical management of pulmonary infections in thoracic surgery ICU settings.