A New Noninvasive Testing Strategy for Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia

Diagnosing Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) without bronchoalveolar lavage can be challenging given the limitations of the various sputum and serum tests available. Combining these noninvasive tests to improve diagnostic accuracy makes sense but has not been well studied.

In this single-center retrospective study, researchers identified 114 patients with suspected PJP and non–HIV-related immunosuppression who underwent bronchoalveolar lavage PCR testing. They then examined the yield of two noninvasive tests: serum β-D-glucan and oral wash PCR (which involved vigorous gargling of saline for 30 seconds; see Figure 1).