Early Use of Molecular Diagnostics in the Emergency Department Reduces All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Pneumonia at Risk of Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens

Background/Objectives: Patients with community-acquired pneumonia at risk of multidrug-resistant pathogens (CAP-MDR) represent a high-risk population in which empiric therapy is frequently inadequate. Evidence on the impact of multiplex syndromic panels (MSP) on clinical outcomes in CAP-MDR pneumonia remains limited, particularly in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

We conducted a single-center observational pre–post study including patients presenting to the ED with CAP-MDR. Patients were managed either with early MSP-guided therapy (prospective cohort) or standard empiric treatment (retrospective cohort). The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Analyses were performed in the overall population and subsequently in a propensity score–matched cohort.