30-Minute Sepsis Test Differentiates Bacterial Infections, Viral Infections, and Noninfectious Disease

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 24 Jan 2025

Image: TriVerity Test is the first and only molecular blood test that can both identify bacterial and viral infections (Photo courtesy of Inflammatix)

Despite significant investment in innovation and decades of research, sepsis continues to have a high mortality rate and remains the most expensive diagnosis for healthcare systems. Hospital systems bear the brunt of this burden, dealing with overcrowded emergency departments (EDs) and extended patient stays, often measured in days or weeks. A major challenge is that for every sepsis case identified, around 20 patients must be screened. Faster and more accurate triage could greatly reduce resource strain, shorten hospital stays, and allow clinicians to focus on critically ill patients. Now, the first-ever molecular blood test capable of identifying both bacterial and viral infections while assessing the need for critical care is expected to reduce these pressures on hospital systems.

Inflammatix’s (Sunnyvale, CA, USA) TriVerity Test System is a pioneering molecular diagnostic for patients suspected of having acute infection or sepsis. It provides a detailed evaluation of a patient’s immune response, combining bacterial and viral infection scoring with a general illness severity assessment. This rapid blood test measures 29 genes related to the host immune response and uses AI/machine learning algorithms to produce three key scores: bacterial infection likelihood, viral infection likelihood, and the risk of severe illness, such as the need for mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, or renal replacement therapy within seven days.

By offering a precise measure of infection likelihood and severity, TriVerity moves beyond the traditional "sepsis" diagnosis, helping EDs better manage a range of acute infections, including pneumonia, cellulitis, and other common conditions. Its goal is to improve outcomes and healthcare efficiency across a wide patient population. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing authorization for TriVerity, equipping emergency physicians with a reliable tool to diagnose and manage acute infections and sepsis. By identifying severe infections that might otherwise be overlooked, TriVerity also helps triage patients with ambiguous symptoms, improving diagnosis in challenging cases.

"When troponin monitoring came into mainstream practice, it transformed the syndrome of 'chest pain,' and outcomes for heart attacks improved dramatically,” said Tim Sweeney, MD, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Inflammatix. “We think that syndromic acute infections are ready for a similar revolution in care, led by TriVerity."

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Inflammatix