According to a new study in the PLOS ONE journal, it has been found that a simple genetic test can diagnose the condition in two hours rather than two days required for a traditional diagnosis. Sepsis is a hidden killer causing nearly one third of all hospital deaths.
Researchers are hopeful that they have discovered a biomarker or biological footprint for sepsis that could form the basis of a rapid bedside blood test that returns results within two hours instead of the two days required by current diagnostics.
Sepsis costs the National Health Service (NHS) more than 2 billion euro in the U.K. and kills more than 37,000 people a year, more than breast and bowel cancer combined.
The study by both London hospital and in Sweden suggested that sepsis can be diagnosed within two hours with 86 percent accuracy. Rapid diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics can save lives but this is hampered by the lack of biomarkers.
According to the research, sepsis is the main leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals; it kills over 250,000 Americans a year.
Sepsis currently has a 40 percent mortality rate. Large-scale trials of the test are now being planned and it is hoped to make it available on the NHS in less than one year. New check could save 15,000 lives a year.
It is difficult to find a right treatment for any disease but in current scenario of new discoveries and inventions, it’s possible to get solution for almost all diseases.
By Ruchi Singh
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com