Hope for rapid life-saving sepsis test

A QUICK new test for sepsis could save thousands of lives, researchers claim.

The test for the killer condition – a serious complication of an infection – gives a result within three minutes.

With the current diagnosis taking up to 72 hours, scientists hope the new test will be available on the NHS within three to five years.

It is estimated that 52,000 people in Britain die every year from sepsis.

Difficult to diagnose and often fatal, the condition sees the immune system attack the body’s own organs.

Dr Damion Corrigan, of the department of biomedical engineering at Strathclyde University, which developed the test, said: “With sepsis, the timing is key. For every hour you delay antibiotic treatment, the likelihood of death increases.

“At the moment, the 72-hour blood test is a very labour-intensive process.

“But the type of test we envisage could be at the bedside and involve doctors or nurses being able to monitor levels of sepsis biomarkers for themselves.

“If GP surgeries had access they could also do quick tests which could potentially save lives. It could also be available in A&E departments.”

Symptoms of sepsis include a high or abnormally low temperature, fast heart rate and rapid breathing.

The new low-cost test uses a biosensor device to see whether the key protein biomarker Interleukin-6 is present in the bloodstream.

IL-6 is a molecule secreted by the immune system and is often found in high levels in people with sepsis.

During research at Strathclyde, the new test picked up IL-6 within two and a half minutes.

Dr Corrigan added: “I would hope the test could improve survival rates by ensuring people receive treatment more quickly.

“It’s not just saving lives – a lot of people who survive sepsis suffer life-changing effects, including limb loss, kidney failure and posttraumatic stress disorder.

“The test could stop a lot of suffering.”

Dr Ron Daniels, chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, said earlier diagnosis and treatment across Britain could save at least 14,000 lives a year.

He said the test “could help save even more lives and bring us closer to our goal of ending preventable deaths”.