Impact of syndromic molecular diagnostics on antimicrobial adequacy and time to therapy in critically ill patients with pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials
Pooled resultResult — go to the resultRelative risk 1.04 95% CI 0.90–1.21Authors' conclusion
Syndromic PCR diagnostics did not reduce in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients with pneumonia but were associated with improved adequacy of initial antimicrobial therapy and faster initiation of effective treatment.
Study context
- Population
- Predominantly adult ICU patients with severe community-acquired, hospital-acquired, or ventilator-associated pneumonia
- Participants
- 2,466 patients · 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
- Comparison
- Syndromic PCR-based molecular diagnostics vs standard culture techniques
- Outcome
- In-hospital mortality
Methodological detailsrandom-effects models
- Random-effects models
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Relative risk
1.04
95% CI 0.90–1.21
P = 0.57
PCR vs Standard culture
RR 1.04 (95% CI 0.90–1.21); P = 0.57
Further pooled results
| Outcome | RR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adequate initial antimicrobial therapyI² = 97% | 1.82 (1.10–3.00) | P = 0.02 | |
| 0.20.5125Relative risk (log scale) |
| Outcome | Mean difference (h) (95% CI) | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Time to effective antibiotic administrationI² = 94% | - 27.98 (- 46.07 to - 9.89) | P = 0.002 |
Original publication
Impact of syndromic molecular diagnostics on antimicrobial adequacy and time to therapy in critically ill patients with pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. Crit Care. Published 22 August 2025. doi:10.
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