Microbiological Rapid On-Site Evaluation for Pulmonary Infectious Diseases

Summary

The protocol here demonstrates a fast and standardized microbiological rapid on-site evaluation (M-ROSE) workflow, including three steps: slide making, staining, and interpretation. This protocol will help physicians make rapid clinical decisions.

Abstract

The prompt initiation of empirical anti-infective therapy is crucial in patients presenting with unexplained pulmonary infection. Although imaging acquisition is relatively straightforward in clinical practice, its lack of specificity often necessitates additional time-consuming tests such as sputum culture, bronchoalveolar-lavage fluid culture, or genetic sequencing to identify the underlying etiology of the disease accurately. Moreover, the limited efficacy of empirical anti-infective treatment may contribute to antibiotic misuse. Recent advancements in interpreting microbial background on rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) slides have enabled clinicians to promptly obtain samples through bronchoscopy (e.g., alveolar lavage, mucosal brushing, tissue clamp), facilitating bedside staining and interpretation that provides essential microbial background information. Consequently, this establishes a foundation for developing targeted anti-infection treatment and individualized drug therapy plans. With a better understanding of which pathogens are causing infections in real-time, physicians can avoid unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotics contributing to antibiotic resistance. Establishing a rapid and standardized M-ROSE workflow within respiratory medicine departments or intensive care units will greatly assist physicians in formulating accurate treatment strategies for patients, which holds significant clinical implications.

Introduction

The technique of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) is a highly efficient method employed in the field of pulmonary disease procedures. It enables real-time sampling and diagnostic intervention, facilitating immediate cytological analysis¹. This innovative approach involves imprinting a portion of the tissue specimen onto a slide while preserving its integrity. One of the key advantages of ROSE lies in its capacity to facilitate prompt interpretation of clinical information through specialized microscopy techniques. This encompasses the analysis of cell morphology, classification, quantification, determination of constituent ratios, assessment of arrangement, correlation analysis, evaluation of background, and identification of foreign objects. By integrating all this data with the patient’s clinical information, ROSE plays a pivotal role in evaluating sampling adequacy and guiding real-time interventional procedures and techniques².

As a subsidiary of ROSE technology, M-ROSE technology primarily focuses on acquiring the microbiological background of target lesions rather than discerning between benign and malignant cells^3,4. On one hand, M-ROSE enables the microscopic identification of pathogens such as Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Pneumocystis, and Candida⁵. On the other hand, it holds significant guiding implications in assessing respiratory specimen quality, distinguishing infectious from non-infectious diseases, discriminating infection from contamination, as well as evaluating infection severity and prognosis^6,7. For instance, within a respiratory specimen, the coexistence of bacteria exhibiting identical morphology alongside infiltrating inflammatory cells indicates an infection; conversely, the presence of multiple morphologically diverse bacteria accompanied by epithelial cells suggests contamination. The capacity to comprehensively analyze clinical information and predict outcomes renders M-ROSE an invaluable tool in pulmonary disease procedures.

In conclusion, ROSE serves as a crucial cytological carrier that significantly enhances the efficiency and precision of diagnosing lung diseases. Its multifaceted capabilities contribute to improved patient outcomes by ensuring timely intervention and facilitating accurate diagnosis through real-time sampling and diagnostic intervention techniques. However, it is important to note that these advancements rely on obtaining qualified samples. Herein, we present a standardized M-ROSE protocol encompassing slide preparation, staining techniques, and interpretation guidelines. This protocol serves as an invaluable reference for clinicians to establish accurate evaluation and treatment plans while facilitating decision-making regarding subsequent handling of target specimens.

Protocol

The clinical trial has been approved by the Approval Committee of Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. 2022-ky-31). The typical case involved a patient diagnosed with Pneumocystis pneumonia, and informed consent was obtained from the patient. 1. Equipment and material requirements for ROSE Equipment: Refer to the Table of Materials file for the equipment used in this protocol. NOTE: Utilizing a dedicated cytological micros…

Representative Results

In a typical case, a 63-year-old man presented to the hospital with a cough, fever, and chest pain. The patient was previously diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, characterized by proteinuria and edema, and received treatment with prednisone and tacrolimus for a long time. The initial laboratory findings demonstrated a white blood cell count of 10.49 x 109/L, neutrophil counts of 8.87 x 109/L, whole blood C-reactive protein and (1-3)-β-D-glucan concentrations of 155.81 mg/L and 249.7 pg/mL. The …

Discussion

Interventional pulmonology is an valuable branch of modern respiratory disease; in particular, it has been widely used in the diagnosis of lung diseases^8,9. In recent years, diagnostic interventional pulmonology has been thriving due to the increased prevalence of pulmonary malignant tumors, more drug-resistant pathogen infections occuring in the lower respiratory tract, and demanding requests for diagnosis of baffling and critical respiratory diseases<sup class=…

Materials

Cytological microscope	Olympus Corporation	CX43
Diff Quik (DQ) staining solutions	Besso Biotechnology Co. LTD	G1541
Disposable 2.5-5 mL syringe needles	Shandong Zhu Pharmaceutical Group	20183150304
Powder-free latex gloves	Henan Yadu Industrial Co., LTD	20182140728
Sterile cell culture slides	Jinan Preret industry and trade Co., LTD	7101