Karen L. Stern, MD, presented “Point-Counterpoint: Next Generation Sequencing vs. Standard Culture – Standard Culture” during the 30th Annual Perspectives in Urology: Point-Counterpoint, on March 10, 2023, at Humphreys Half Moon Inn, San Diego, California.
How to cite: Stern, Karen L. “Point-Counterpoint: Next Generation Sequencing vs. Standard Culture – Standard Culture.” March 10, 2023. Accessed May 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/point-counterpoint-next-generation-sequencing-vs-standard-culture-standard-culture/
Point-Counterpoint: Next Generation Sequencing vs. Standard Culture – Standard Culture – Summary
Karen L. Stern, MD, reviews Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) concerns, places for NGS in urology, and benefits of standard urine cultures. Dr. Stern analyzes a 2017 study of 44 patients, explaining that NGS can lead to overtreatment. Using statistics from the CDC, she also illustrates the potential for NGS to contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Dr. Stern notes that NGS is generally expensive since it is labor intensive, and the technology may not be cost-effective in high-risk patients. She also reviews the potential for increased false positives with NGS, comparing the sensitivity and specificity rates of NGS and standard urine cultures. She highlights the lack of research on NGS and calls for additional analysis into its capabilities.
However, Dr. Stern reviews data from the World Congress and concedes that NGS may have some specific uses in urology. Dr. Stern continues by comparing stone cultures and renal pelvis urine cultures to preoperative midstream urine cultures, highlighting the utility of these cultures while acknowledging the lack of research comparing them to NGS.
She transitions to a 2018 study and evaluates the listed NGS successes, expressing doubts about the usefulness and nature of these successes. Dr. Stern completes her discussion by emphasizing the need to research NGS further and reserve NGS for specific areas in urology, urging urologists to turn to standard cultures for detection.
This lecture is part of a Point-Counterpoint debate. Its opposing lecture is “Point-Counterpoint: Next Generation Sequencing vs. Standard Culture – Next Generation Sequencing.”
About the 30th Annual Perspectives in Urology: Point Counterpoint conference: Presented by Program Chair and Grand Rounds in Urology Editor-in-Chief E. David Crawford, MD, this conference brought together leading experts in urology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology to discuss and debate the latest topics in genitourinary cancers, primarily prostate cancer and bladder cancer. This interactive conference offered topical lectures, pro/con debates, interesting-case presentations, interactive panel discussions, and interactive audience and faculty networking.
