{
  "abstract": "Metagenomic sequencing can identify pathogens directly from respiratory samples without the need for culture, but laboratories differ widely in how they interpret and report results. In the first consensus guidance worldwide, we synthesise current practice and identify gaps in knowledge. Reviewing the literature identified 53 studies involving more than 6,000 participants, finding current evidence is limited by inconsistent methods, risk of bias, and subjective interpretation. After expert workshops and a three-round Delphi process across six sites in the NHS Respiratory Metagenomics Network, nineteen specialists agreed on 28 recommendations. The guidance sets out practical principles for defining detection thresholds, using control samples to identify contamination, deciding which findings to report, and assessing whether detected organisms are clinically important. It also includes a decision aid for reporting respiratory metagenomic results. These recommendations aim to support more transparent and consistent clinical reporting while identifying priorities for validation and future research.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 25,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Luke B. Snell"
    },
    {
      "name": "Rahul Batra"
    },
    {
      "name": "Judith Breuer",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8246-0534"
    },
    {
      "name": "Julianne R. Brown",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4681-9586"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jonathan D. Edgeworth"
    },
    {
      "name": "Vanya Gant"
    },
    {
      "name": "Theodore Gouliouris"
    },
    {
      "name": "Paul Grant"
    },
    {
      "name": "Steve Green"
    },
    {
      "name": "Robbie Hammond"
    },
    {
      "name": "James Hatcher"
    },
    {
      "name": "Catherine Houlihan"
    },
    {
      "name": "Muktar Ibrahim",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2027-3095"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ana Lima Soares",
      "orcid": "0009-0002-2410-6654"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sophie May"
    },
    {
      "name": "Rebecca McHugh",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-6967-2411"
    },
    {
      "name": "Chloe Myers"
    },
    {
      "name": "Gaia Nebbia"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nicholas J. Norton",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7761-317X"
    },
    {
      "name": "Poorvi Patel",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-0220-1793"
    },
    {
      "name": "Simon Rock"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kordo Saeed"
    },
    {
      "name": "Manoj Valappil"
    },
    {
      "name": "Tom G. S. Williams"
    },
    {
      "name": "Adela Alcolea-Medina",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3145-0376"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dftz7n45r2fph.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s43856-026-01968-x",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "dftz7n45r2fph",
  "issns": [
    "2730-664X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-026-01968-x",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-03",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dftz7n45r2fph.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T00:21:01Z",
      "native_id": "10.1038/s43856-026-01968-x",
      "source": "feed-nature",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-026-01968-x"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T00:21:48Z",
      "native_id": "10.1038/s43856-026-01968-x",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-026-01968-x"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "issn:2730-664X",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Reporting and interpretation of respiratory metagenomic results in clinical practice: a systematic review and consensus guidelines from the UK NHS Respiratory Metagenomics Network",
  "title_text": "Reporting and interpretation of respiratory metagenomic results in clinical practice: a systematic review and consensus guidelines from the UK NHS Respiratory Metagenomics Network",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T12:20:50Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dftz7n45r2fph",
  "venue": "Communications Medicine",
  "versions": []
}