Application value of dual amplification method for nucleic acid detection of seven respiratory pathogens by throat swab samples in diagnosis of acute upper respiratory tract infections in children

Objective To compare the diagnostic values of different detection methods for respiratory pathogens in children with acute respiratory infections.

Methods A total of 862 children with acute respiratory infections were enrolled, and their throat swab samples were tested for seven common respiratory pathogens by the dual amplification method and a self-built nucleic acid detection system. For samples with inconsistent results between the two methods, nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for verification.

Results The positive detection rate of the dual amplification method was 57.75%, which was significantly higher than 30.14% of the self-built nucleic acid detection system, and the detection rate of mixed infections was 10.14%, which was also significantly higher than 1.97% of the self-built nucleic acid detection system (P < 0.05). The sensitivity of the dual amplification method was 91.63%, which was significantly higher than 72.61% of the self-built nucleic acid detection system, and the specificity was 92.31%, which was also significantly higher than 75.62% of the self-built nucleic acid detection system (P < 0.05).

Conclusion The dual amplification method can simultaneously detect the ribonucleic acid of seven respiratory pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity, demonstrating significant clinical application value.