Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Microbiology/Immunology/Virology
Session: 2
Room: Exhibit Hall A
Paola Fonseca-Romero - Universidad Ana G. Mendez
Co-Author(s): Shannon Nielsen BS2, Nicole Pershing MD, PhD2, Krow Ampofo MD2 and Anne Blaschke MD, PhD2(1) Universidad Ana G. Mendez-recinto de Carolina, Carolina, Puerto Rico, (2) University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, (3) Primary Children?s Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT
Pneumonia is a common cause of serious illness in infants and children. Parapneumonic empyema (PE) complicates pneumonia when pleural fluid collects in the pleural space and can require prolonged antibiotic therapy. PE is primarily caused by infection with bacterial pathogens including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes. Blood culture and pleural fluid are used to identified causative organisms; however, culture can be low yield if patients have received antibiotics. We aim to increase bacterial pathogen detection from patients with PE by utilizing a PCR-based assay from these isolated samples. Pleural fluid (PF) specimens were collected from children with PE. Demographic, clinical and microbiologic data were abstracted from the medical record. PF specimens were tested with the Bio Fire BCID Panel, a multiplex PCR-based assay detecting 27 bacterial pathogens. We collected 121 PF specimens from children with PE. The results of clinical samples of 19 patients that were admitted in Primary Children?s Hospital with complicated pneumonia from 2017 to 2019 were identified by pleural culture in 32% of patients. Nine PF specimens were culture positive; PCR identified a concordant organism in 8 cases. Ten PF specimens were culture negative, PCR identified a pathogen in 6/10 cases. S. pneumoniae was identified in 42% (8/19) of cases, followed by S. pyogenes in 21% (4/19) and H. influenzae in 5% (1/19) cases. PCR-based diagnostics can improve pathogen detection in children with PE. This methodology may help to better treatment of PE due to the speed and accuracy of pathogen identification. The ideal clinical diagnostic system should be able to deliver rapid and specific results from patients. Detecting pathogens from patients who are pretreated with antibiotics can allow clinicians to use the right antibiotics. Moving forward, we will test clinical PE samples using a pneumonia PCR panel which includes viral, atypical, and bacterial pathogens.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Department of Pediatrics, NHGRI program
Faculty Advisor: Anne Blashke, anne.blaschke@hsc.utah.edu
Role: I have had the privilege to participate in the Genomic Summer Research for Minorities (GSRM) program. I was a research intern at the University of Utah School of Medicine?s Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. The objective of my work in Dr. Anne Blaschke?s microbiology lab was to increase bacterial pathogen detection from patients with Pleural Empyema by utilizing a PCR-based assay on the isolated patient samples. This project fits into the brother context of Dr. Blaschke?s clinical interest in general infectious diseases and serious bacterial infections including pneumococcal and staphylococcal infection, as well as antibiotic-resistant organisms. With this research, we aimed to investigate the development of rapid diagnostic testing to improve the management of bacterial and viral infections in children that can lead to severe invasive infection. I had to do bench work, run clinical samples with the multiplex PCR and then analyzed those samples.