Clinical utility of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and a novel PCR-based point-of-care testing (POCT) for pathogen detection in pulmonary infections: a retrospective study

The findings indicate that PM Easy Lab RP and mNGS offer distinct yet complementary value. PM Easy Lab has potential advantages in speed, sensitivity, and efficiency in detecting pathogens within its panel, and it could be considered for rapid, frontline testing, while mNGS provides a broad-spectrum detection capability, making it more suitable for comprehensive investigation of complex cases, though careful clinical interpretation is required to distinguish pathogenic from colonizing or contaminating organisms. Understanding their respective strengths can guide the development of optimized, hierarchical diagnostic pathways.