March 3, 2026Open Access

Diagnostic Performance of Droplet Digital PCR for Detecting Pathogens and Resistance Genes in Patients with Suspected Bloodstream Infections

Key Points

Droplet digital PCR showed a significantly higher detection rate of 64% compared to 30% for blood culture.
Sensitivity of ddPCR was recorded at 86.67%, with notable reductions in turnaround time for diagnosis.
Prospective analysis included 50 patients with suspected bloodstream infections and utilized both ddPCR and blood culture methods.
The findings highlight the potential of ddPCR to enhance antimicrobial stewardship through timely diagnosis.

Abstract

Shengjun Wu, 1 Chen Xu, 2– 4 Ying Fu, 2– 4 Lu Zhang, 2– 4 Linyue Zhang2– 4 1School of Medical Technology and Information Engineering, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 4Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center for Innovative Pathogen Precision Detection Instruments, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Linyue Zhang, Department of clinical laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, No. 3 Qingchun East Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China, Email linyueᵦhang@zju. edu. cnPurpose: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance and clinical impact of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in patients with suspected bloodstream infections (BSIs) and demonstrated how ddPCR can benefit diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship efforts. Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective study in a tertiary hospital in China, 50 patients with suspected BSIs were recruited and 50 blood samples were collected for ddPCR and blood culture (BC). Results: In terms of diagnostic performance, ddPCR exhibited a superior detection rate (64% vs 30%), a relatively high sensitivity (86. 67%), and less turn-around time (27. 16 ± 13. 95 hours vs 70. 87 ± 15. 8 hours, P < 0. 0001) compared to BC. The presence of blaKPC and Klebsiella pneumoniae was detected by ddPCR and later confirmed by BC in three patients. Based on the rapid ddPCR results, the antimicrobial therapy was adjusted to ceftazidime/avibactam (2. 5 g q8h) to target the pathogen. This case showed that ddPCR could reduce the time to diagnosis and promotes precise antibiotic use. Conclusion: The clinical value of ddPCR is to detect and quantify pathogens and resistance genes early to provide appropriate guidance for therapeutic options. Keywords: droplet digital PCR, antibiotic resistance genes, clinical application, carbapenem resistance

Diagnostic Performance of Droplet Digital PCR for Detecting Pathogens and Resistance Genes in Patients with Suspected Bloodstream Infections

Key Points

Abstract

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