Rapid Antimicrobial Resistance Detection Methods in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology
• Transplant Medicine

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health issue.
• Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR) face higher risks of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, leading to increased morbidity and mortality.
• Rapid diagnostic assays for AMR are advancing and being adopted in general patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review Food and Drug Administration-approved, commercially available rapid AMR detection tests.
• To summarize the current evidence on the performance and clinical utility of these tests specifically in SOTR.
• To address the limited data available for SOTR compared to the general population.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies evaluating rapid AMR detection assays.
• Focus on assays approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
• Analysis of data pertaining to SOTR populations.

Main Results:

• Emerging data show varying performance and utility of rapid AMR tests in SOTR.
• Evidence for SOTR is less robust than for the general population.
• Commercially available tests are increasingly being assessed for this vulnerable group.

Conclusions:

• Rapid AMR detection tests hold promise for improving outcomes in SOTR.
• Further research is needed to fully establish the performance and clinical utility in SOTR.
• Integration of these tests into SOTR care pathways requires careful evaluation of available evidence.