Rapid Test for Sepsis-Related Pathogens Being Developed

A rapid assay for sepsis-related pathogens will provide results in less than two hours. The fast access to information will enable physicians to quickly prescribe a specific course of treatment, thereby improving patient outcomes.

Smiths Detection (Watford, UK) received a $1 million, two-year grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB; Bethesda, MD, USA) to develop a rapid test for eight microorganisms that commonly cause burn/wound infections leading to septicemia (blood-poisoning).

The test will run on Smiths Detection's clinical Bio-Seeq system, designed to be used at point of care (POC) in critical care settings. With Bio-Seeq, the sample is introduced into a disposable cartridge, which is then placed on the instrument. The system should require no specialized molecular biology training.

Development of the highly multiplexed test will be achieved by using Smiths Detection's linear-after-the-exponential-polymerase chain reaction (LATE-PCR) nucleic acid amplification and detection technology. This technology was licensed from Brandeis University (Waltham, MA, USA), which will also support the project. The test will be suitable for use in a conventional laboratory setting or in a Point-of-Care (POC) setting running on the Bio-Seeq instrument.

Over 750,000 Americans develop sepsis each year. Globally, sepsis affects millions of people and is the leading cause of death in noncoronary Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Patients with more than 20% burn coverage, run a 97% risk of developing a wound infection, and the longer it takes to identify the cause, the higher the risk of full sepsis.

Traditional pathogen detection methods can take up to 72 hours and rapid molecular tests, when performed in a central laboratory, can take up to a day, depending on sample transport and processing times. Validation of the assay under development as well as evaluation of the performance of Bio-Seeq in an ICU setting will be conducted at the University of California (UC) Davis Medical Center (Sacramento, CA, USA).

Smiths Detection diagnostics unit is part of Smiths Group. It develops hardy instruments that are easily operated by specialists in clinical and veterinary procedures.

Related Links:
Smiths Detection
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Brandeis University
University of California Davis Medical Center