Abstract PCCLB-54: BioCard Mycoplasma IgM rapid test is a convenient, immediate diagnostic tool for Mycoplasma pneumonia infection

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an important pathogenic bacterium that causes community-acquired pneumonia in children. Rapid and dependable laboratory diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection is important for starting an appropriate antibiotic treatment. Currently, the serological testing for detection of M. pneumoniae immunoglobulin M (IgM) has been used to determine the presence of an acute infection, the results for which, depending on the laboratory facility, are not available immediately. Therefore, an optimal and instant detection method is needed to facilitate a more accurate diagnosis, which leads to the appropriate treatment of patients with M. pneumoniae-related pneumonia and reduces rates of resistance to antibiotics because of their misuse. Here, we investigated the clinical diagnostic value of a rapid detection kit for M. pneumoniae-specific IgM antibody, the BioCard Mycoplasma IgM rapid test, in the detection of a Mycoplasma infection in children. Among 82 Mycoplasma IgM-positive samples, 51 samples were detected to be positive using the BioCard rapid test. The sensitivity and specificity of the kit were 62.20% (51/82) and 100% (16/16), respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 100% (51/51) and 34.04% (16/47), respectively. In conclusion, the BioCard Mycoplasma IgM rapid test provides an accurate point-of-care diagnostic for M. pneumonia infection.