This study aims to observe the effectiveness of clinical application in guiding anti-infection treatments in AIDS patients with severe pneumonia and/or sepsis using Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing-based technology in the real world

The study focuses on AIDS patients with severe pneumonia and/or sepsis, divided into groups based on whether metagenomic next-generation sequencing technology is used in the real world or not. The groups are the metagenomic next-generation sequencing group and the conventional pathogen detection group, with metagenomic sequencing samples derived from blood specimens. The study compares the pathogen detection rates and clinical diagnosis conformity rates of the aforementioned groups, as well as the efficiency of diagnosis in guiding clinical treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Confirmed HIV infection;

2. Progression to AIDS stage: CD4+ count <200 cells/ul and/or occurrence of AIDS opportunistic infections;

3. Age between 18 and 65 years;

4. Meeting the diagnosis of severe pneumonia or septic shock:

   1. The criteria for severe pneumonia diagnosis refer to the 2021 ATS (American Thoracic Society) and IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America) guidelines for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia;
   2. The criteria for septic shock refer to the Chinese Society of Critical Care Medicine's "Chinese Guidelines for the Emergency Treatment of Sepsis/Septic Shock (2018).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Coexisting central nervous system lesions, severe liver disease, or cirrhosis;
2. Concurrent AIDS-related or unrelated tumors;
3. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding;
4. Severe underlying diseases of the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, etc.;
5. Alcohol abuse or drug use;
6. The researcher believes that the overall condition of the subject affects the evaluation and completion of the trial.

All study participants come from the OSPWH (Patients With HIV/AIDS) cohort at the Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital.