Cell Free DNA Metagenomics in Sepsis Patients Samples
Bloodstream infections (BSI) remain a major challenge in the management of patients with acute leukemia and those undergoing bone marrow transplantation. If not treated promptly with the appropriate antibiotic, these infections can rapidly progress to sepsis and multi-organ failure, resulting in significant mortality. In resource-limited settings, the lack of specialized infection-control facilities further exacerbates the problem. Conventional blood culture, although considered the gold standard for pathogen detection, is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often yields false-negative results, particularly when patients have received empirical antibiotic therapy prior to diagnosis.  Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) offers a promising alternative as a culture-independent, unbiased diagnostic approach capable of detecting a wide range of pathogens—including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites—directly from clinical specimens. This study aims to evaluate the clinical utility of mNGS for identifying causative organisms of sepsis in patients with acute leukemia and those undergoing bone marrow transplantation. The goal is to assess whether mNGS can provide faster and more accurate pathogen detection to guide targeted antimicrobial therapy and improve clinical outcomes in this high-risk population.