Simple blood test may be lifesaver
The lives of hundreds of children could be saved by a two-hour test for bacterial infections including meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia which may be available within five years.
British scientists have developed a method to determine quickly with a simple blood test whether a feverish child has a common virus or a life-threatening bacterial infection.
Current testing involves taking blood and urine samples and extracting brain and spinal fluid. Children are given antibiotics, as a precaution, while doctors wait up to 48 hours to see if bacterial cultures grow from the samples.
The new test looks at patterns of genes in the bloodstream that are switched on or off by infections.
Researchers at Imperial College London were the first to identify the two genes that distinguish between bacterial and viral infections in children. The study involved 240 infants with an average age of 19 months who arrived at hospitals with a fever in Britain, Spain, the Netherlands and the United States. Initial evidence suggests the results will be mirrored in adults.
The findings are a stepping stone to a cheap blood test that will help doctors determine ‘‘needle in a haystack’’ diagnoses, according to scientists. At present there is no quick method to see if a child is in need of immediate treatment to fight a bacterial infection, or whether they should be sent home with paracetamol.
About a quarter of all child accident and emergency attendances in Britain are for fever. About 5 per cent of those turn out to be bacterial infections, which can be deadly if misdiagnosed or if there is a delay in providing antibiotics.
Mike Levin, professor of paediatrics and international child health and lead author of the study, said it was ‘‘highly feasible’’ the two-hour technology would be available within five years.
‘‘The technology is there – now we just need the test to be developed,’’ he said. ‘‘When the ebola epidemic happened, there was no test available but the scientific community turned its mind to a rapid test. The same needs to be done now. Correctly diagnosing the type of infection is one of the most common and serious healthcare problems faced by doctors.’’