Analysis of infection biomarkers within a Bayesian framework reveals their role in pneumococcal pneumonia diagnosis in HIV patients

BackgroundHIV patients are more likely to contract bacterial pneumonia and more likely to die from the infection. Unfortunately, there are few tests to quickly diagnosis the etiology of these dangerous infections. Several biomarkers may be useful for diagnosing the most common pneumonia-causing organism, S. pneumoniae, but studies utilizing the standard statistical approach provide little concrete guidance for the HIV-infected population.\n\nMethodology and FindingsUsing a Bayesian approach, I analyze data from a cohort of 280 HIV patients with x-ray confirmed community acquired pneumonia. First, I use a variety of techniques to establish predictor significance and to identify their optimal