PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) best for detecting pneumonia strain:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing appears to be one of the most sensitive and specific technologies for detecting pneumococcal pneumonia in whole blood. Spanish researchers, reporting in the February issue of Thorax, said the test had a sensitivity of 55% and a specificity of 81% (which includes positive PCR tests in undiagnosed patients). The researchers, from Hospital Arnau de Vilanova in Lleida, said that the methodology of PCR for pneumonia testing needs to be standardised, including the choice of primers and genes for amplification and the method for nucleic acid extraction, amplification and detection.