The Role of Enhanced Pathogen Detection in the Management of Septic Pneumonia Patients

The clinical use of multiplex PCR platforms dramatically increases the frequency of detection of potential viral and bacterial pathogens, while the companion use of biomarkers to measure serum procalcitonin levels helps to determine whether the detected potential pathogens are colonizing or invading. This is of critical importance to antibiotic stewardship activities. In this session, presented by Sepsis Alliance Institute and sponsored by BioMérieux, attendees will learn about enhanced detection of potential viral and bacterial pathogens in septic patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Attendees will also learn to identify the important variables influencing serum procalcitonin levels and how to use serum procalcitonin levels to help determine the significance of detected viral and/or bacterial pathogens.