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Updated: Nov 27, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancing Rapid Detection of Respiratory Pathogens Using Microfluidic Chip
Published on: March 29, 2024
Multicentric evaluation of BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel for rapid bacteriological documentation of pneumonia
Nabil Gastli1, Julien Loubinoux1, Matthieu Daragon2
1Service de Bactériologie, Hôpital Cochin, AP-HP Centre, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
Objectives:
To evaluate performances of the rapid multiplex PCR assay BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel (FA-PP) for detection of bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes in sputum, endotracheal aspirate (ETA) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens.
Methods:
This prospective observational study was conducted in 11 French university hospitals (July to December 2018) and assessed performance of FA-PP by comparison with routine conventional methods.
Results:
A total of 515 respiratory specimens were studied, including 58 sputa, 217 ETA and 240 BAL. The FA-PP detected at least one pathogen in 384 specimens, yielding an overall positivity rate of 74.6% (384/515). Of them, 353 (68.5%) specimens were positive for typical bacteria while eight atypical bacteria and 42 resistance genes were found. While identifying most bacterial pathogens isolated by culture (374/396, 94.4%), the FA-PP detected 294 additional species in 37.7% (194/515) of specimens. The FA-PP demonstrated positive percentage agreement and negative percentage agreement values of 94.4% (95% CI 91.7%-96.5%) and 96.0% (95% CI 95.5%-96.4%), respectively, when compared with culture. Of FA-PP false-negative results, 67.6% (46/68) corresponded to bacterial species not included in the panel. At the same semi-quantification level (in DNA copies/mL for FA-PP versus in CFU/mL for culture), the concordance rate was 43.4% (142/327) for culture-positive specimens with FA-PP reporting higher semi-quantification of ≥1 log10 in 48.6% (159/327) of cases. Interestingly, 90.1% of detected bacteria with ≥106 DNA copies/mL grew significantly in culture.
Conclusions:
FA-PP is a simple and rapid molecular test that could complement routine conventional methods for improvement of diagnosis accuracy of pneumonia.
Insights
The BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel (FA-PP) accurately detects bacterial pathogens and resistance genes in respiratory samples, improving pneumonia diagnosis. This rapid multiplex PCR assay complements conventional methods for enhanced accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Microbiology
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Accurate and timely diagnosis of pneumonia is crucial for effective patient management.
- Conventional methods for identifying bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes can be time-consuming.
- Molecular diagnostic tools offer potential for faster and more comprehensive pathogen detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of the BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel (FA-PP) for detecting bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes.
- To assess the utility of FA-PP in various respiratory specimens, including sputum, endotracheal aspirate (ETA), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL).
- To compare the diagnostic accuracy of FA-PP with routine conventional methods.
Main Methods:
- A prospective observational study involving 11 French university hospitals.
- Performance assessment of the FA-PP assay against standard culture-based methods.
- Analysis of 515 respiratory specimens (58 sputum, 217 ETA, 240 BAL) collected between July and December 2018.
Main Results:
- The FA-PP detected at least one pathogen in 74.6% of specimens, identifying typical bacteria, atypical bacteria, and resistance genes.
- High agreement with culture: 94.4% positive percentage agreement and 96.0% negative percentage agreement.
- FA-PP identified additional species not detected by culture in 37.7% of cases; 90.1% of high bacterial loads detected by FA-PP correlated with significant culture growth.
Conclusions:
- The BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel (FA-PP) demonstrates strong performance for detecting bacterial pathogens and resistance genes in respiratory samples.
- FA-PP offers a rapid and simple molecular testing option.
- This assay can serve as a valuable complement to conventional methods, potentially improving the accuracy of pneumonia diagnosis.
