{"id":22402,"date":"2019-07-05T19:15:58","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T19:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medgoo.com\/?p=22402"},"modified":"2019-07-05T19:16:01","modified_gmt":"2019-07-05T19:16:01","slug":"a-close-look-at-sepsis-part-2-a-need-for-speed-new-tests-to-help-diagnose-sepsis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/2019\/07\/05\/a-close-look-at-sepsis-part-2-a-need-for-speed-new-tests-to-help-diagnose-sepsis\/","title":{"rendered":"A Close Look At Sepsis: Part 2: A Need for Speed – New Tests to Help Diagnose Sepsis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sepsis is a complex condition characterized by the simultaneous activation of inflammation and coagulation in response to microbial insult or infection(1)<\/sup>. Unfortunately, it\u2019s a heck of a lot easier to define sepsis than it is to diagnose or treat the disease. In fact, there is no one fast, efficient test that can definitively say if a patient does or does not have sepsis. Instead, physicians rely on a combination of strategies to diagnose sepsis, including a patient\u2019s medical history and current symptoms as well as diagnostic testing(2)<\/sup>. It takes a lot of time to collect all this data \u2013 time that might cost a life, since sepsis is much more treatable in its earliest stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to Rock <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While no one test can categorically\ndiagnose sepsis, simultaneously spotlight the right treatment, and do it all\nimmediately, there is progress to report. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) approved a blood test, Accelerate PhenoTest BC kit (Accelerate Diagnostic)(3)<\/sup>, that may provide a rapid and specific sepsis diagnosis while also delivering information about treatment options for early-stage sepsis. More specifically, the test can identify the genus and species of common Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial infections that can lead to sepsis, show their sensitivity or resistance to several antibiotics, and identify sepsis caused by Candida fungal species. Wait. There\u2019s more! A physician gets this data nearly 42 hours quicker than with current tests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also accomplished in 2017, University of Illinois\u2019\nresearchers and physicians at Carle Foundation Hospital developed a rapid test\nfor sepsis(4)<\/sup>, which counts white blood cells and certain protein\nmarkers on the cells\u2019 surface to monitor a patient\u2019s immune response. It is the\nfirst test to provide rapid, point-of-care measurement of the immune system\u2019s\nresponse \u2013 without needing to process the blood \u2013 and thus helping doctors identify\nsepsis at the onset. This hugely elevates a physician\u2019s ability to monitor the\ninfection and with further development, may someday point to a prognosis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Horizon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A team from the Columbia University(5)<\/sup> Irving\nMedical Center noted that the immune system initially launches a vigorous\nattack against sepsis \u2013 but then the innate immune response shuts down. After\nanalyzing the underlying mechanism, the team identified two specific molecules \u2013\nmicroRNAs (miR-221 and miR-222) \u2013 that were produced in immune cells during\nprolonged inflammation. Researchers are now studying these two microRNAs as the\nbasis for a test that could help clinicians classify patients into one or two\ncategories: <\/p>\n\n\n\n