Comparative Evaluation of Diatherix Target Enriched Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction and BioFire FilmArray in the Detection of Viral and Bacterial Respiratory Pathogens

Chen, Wei-Ju; Arnold, John; Fairchok, Mary; Hansen, Erin; Malone, Leslie; Grigorenko, Elena; Stalons, Donald; Milzman, Jacqueline Owens; Ridore, Michelande; Coles, Christian; Burgess, Timothy; Millar, Eugene

Results. The multiplex evaluation of influenza-PCR-positive specimens (n = 34) was incomplete and thus excluded from analysis. Of the 308 specimens with complete results, TEM-PCR and FilmArray detected at least 1 viral pathogen among 197 (64.0%) and 198 (64.3%) specimens, respectively. The frequency of viral codetection (i.e. 2 or more viral pathogens in a specimen) was 7.1% for TEM-PCR and 6.5% for BioFire FilmArray (p = 0.67; McNemar's test). Only 1 (0.3%) specimen was positive for C pneumoniae by FilmArray, and neither assay detected B pertussis. Pathogen-specific agreement between the panels was as follows: HRV/EV (κ = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.66–0.84), coronavirus (κ = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.86–0.97), RSV (κ = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.77–0.94), parainfluenza (κ = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.91–1), hMPV (κ = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74–0.96), ADV (κ = 0.21; 95% CI, −0.15 to 0.58), and M pneumoniae (κ = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.42–1).