الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The rapid increase of emerging multi -drug resistant bacterial organisms and unnecessary overtreatment of viral infections with antibiotics has highlighted the need for rapid and specific diagnosis of bacterial, fungal and viral infections to avoid unnecessary abuse of antimicrobial agents.
The novel multiplex PCR diagnostic technique has combined tests for both numerous organisms and resistant genes at the same time in a relatively short period of time in comparison to conventional cultures, although the latter still stand ground for their importance in detection antibiotic susceptibly of bacteria.
This study was conducted on eighty-nine cases admitted to PICU in the period from June 2019 to June 2020. The cases were simultaneously tested by both conventional cultures and multiplex PCR at the same time. Male patients composed 54.1% of the cases and female patients 45.9%. Age of the cases extended from one year to 13 years with mean 22.9 ± 35.60 and a median of 6.0 months.
The TAT of all panels used in this study was considerably shorter than the SOCMT TAT, ranging from 1–1.5 hour, and this was the actual TAT, and because the BioFire FilmArray is a point-of-care test in the PICU; no time was needed for sample transport or reporting of results by the laboratory.
Pneumonia comprised the major type of infection (n=61) cases followed by meningioencphalitis (n=19), and blood stream infection (n=14). Two different infectious organisms were found in 3 cases while one case only had the 3 organisms.
In the current study, the PN panel identified at least one viral pathogen in 66.6% of miniBAL samples. The significantly high rate of respiratory viral pathogens identified in the present study shows the importance of the need to include viral testing in routine PICU microbiology diagnostic work-up.
Antimicrobial therapy may be affected by the results of BioFire. The results of the Biofire system showed and helped to stop antibiotics in 50% of patients and to start antiviral in 12.2% of patients. The results also helped in conformation that in 37.8% of patients were receiving the optimum treatment so, antimicrobial therapy have not been changed, which is very critical in PICU management.