RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Impact of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) multiplex PCR with DNA macrocip based diagnosis on outcomes of severe pneumonia in ICU JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 3204 VO 38 IS Suppl 55 A1 Mrinal Sircar A1 Ravneet Kaur A1 Rajesh Gupta A1 Prashant Ranjan A1 Rajeev Tangri A1 Amit Gupta A1 Rohit Caroli A1 Neela Chavhan A1 Archita Joshi Bhatt A1 Shirin Naaz A1 Vibha Taneja A1 Sujeet Kumar A1 Mukta Singh YR 2011 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/3204.abstract AB Objective: To evaluate BAL multiplex PCR with DNA macrochip (Syndrome Evaluation System (SES), Xcyton Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd., India) in etiological diagnosis of severe pneumonia and its impact on outcomes.Method: Bronchoscopic BAL in 25 (27 episodes) adult patients with severe pneumonia was tested by conventional culture methods (CC) and SES. Empirical antibiotics were modified based on the results. Index infection, ICU, hospital and 30 day outcomes were compared with matched controls.Results: BAL was obtained from 25 (27 episodes) study patients [mean±SD age 61.3±18.3 yrs] and 27 control patients [age 60.9±18.3 yrs]. There was no significant difference in the age (p=0.94), APACHE IV score (74.6±27.3 vs. 76.6±29; p=0.8) and predicted mortality (29±22.3 vs. 26.9±21.2; p=0.72), ICU length of stay (LOS) (p=0.49) and hospital LOS (p=0.73) between the groups. Mechanical ventilation was required for 26 episodes in study and 25 in controls.In the study arm all BAL were positive by SES, 9 were sterile by CC and 18 were positive by both methods. SES missed 4 organisms picked up by CC. In controls 7/27 BAL were sterile by CC.In the study arm there was significantly less time to antibiotic modification (p<0.001) based on SES (31.18±8.44 hrs) as compared to CC (including Gram stain and colony morphology) (52.81±17.71 hrs). Observed 30 days mortality was 15/25 (study) and 13/27 (control). Index infection cure rates (p=1) and ICU (p=0.27), hospital (p=0.49) and 30 day (p=0.57) mortality were not significantly different in the two groups.Conclusions: Multiplex PCR (SES) helps in early modification of empirical therapy but shows no impact on severe pneumonia outcome.