King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH and RC) has developed a metagenomic protocol for diagnosing infectious diseases that traditional methods have failed to identify.
The protocol involves comprehensive genetic analysis of the microbial DNA responsible for infections in patients who have not responded to treatment and whose symptoms could not be diagnosed through conventional methods. By utilizing second and third-generation sequencing technologies, this innovative approach aims to achieve zero undiagnosed cases at KFSH and RC, positively impacting treatment plans, outcomes, and timing, and reducing patients’ hospital stays.
The protocol has been applied to over 100 patients infected with microbes that could not be identified using traditional methods in the microbiology lab. Upon analysis, half of the cases proved to be antibiotic resistant. Such details provide valuable insight for doctors to select more effective treatments to combat such infections.
Statistics show that half of the
blood samples and diarrhea-causing diseases remain unidentified at pathogen level. This applies to nearly two-thirds of encephalitis (meningitis) cases, up to a quarter of pneumonia cases, and 20% of blood poisoning (sepsis) cases, which reflects the critical need for an advanced diagnostic protocol using whole-genome sequencing technology.
With this protocol, patients can receive highly accurate results within 24 hours, an exceptional timeframe available in very few hospitals in the world. This rapid and precise diagnosis enables doctors to identify the primary virus, fungus, or bacterium causing the infection and select the best medication, enabling precise treatment tailored to the patient’s genetic makeup and the pathogen’s characteristics.
This advanced protocol facilitates the simultaneous sequencing of millions of DNA or RNA fragments, allowing the detection of multiple pathogens in a single process, including those difficult to culture or identify using traditional techniques. Its broad application
helps track disease outbreaks, control infections, and discover mutations and pathogens.
KFSH and RC ranked first in the Middle East and Africa, and 20th globally, in the list of world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centers for the second consecutive year and recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East, according to the 2024 Brand Finance rankings. Additionally, it was ranked among the world’s best 250 hospitals by Newsweek magazine.
Source: Saudi Press Agency