Same-day test helps doctors detect hidden infections in critically ill children
Metagenomics offers a new way of detecting infections in intensive care patients.
By BBC News
A same-day genetic test helped doctors identify hidden and drug-resistant infections in critically ill children, according to a study at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
The test, known as metagenomics, analyses all the genetic material in a patient sample rather than looking only for specific bacteria, viruses or fungi. This means it can detect a wide range of organisms, including infections that routine testing may miss.
Researchers used the method on respiratory samples from 122 children treated in the hospital’s paediatric intensive care unit between 2024 and 2025.
It identified about 90% of the bacteria and viruses present in the samples, as well as all the fungi. The results led doctors to start, stop or change medication in around a quarter of cases.
In one case, the test found a drug-resistant bacterial infection in a child named Willow. The result showed that a different antibiotic was needed from the one initially prescribed.
The testing also detected 50 organisms that had not been found by routine diagnostic methods. Researchers said this suggested metagenomics could help provide an early warning of infections that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Dr Amita Brown, head of the GOSHomics service and a co-senior author of the study, said the approach was being introduced gradually in about 30 intensive care units across the UK, treating both adults and children.
Metagenomic testing examines genetic material from a sample and compares it with extensive databases to identify the organisms present. Faster sequencing and computer analysis have helped reduce the time needed to produce results, allowing the method to be used when treatment decisions are urgent.