New, faster sepsis test could save lives, scientists say

Illustration of the bacteria streptococcus pyogenes. The bacterial cells look like fluorescent light green-ish blue balls that are bunched together in a diagonal line across the image and in a cluster in the top-right-hand corner of the image. The background is undulating and a mixture of dark purple, green and yellow colors.

Scientists have developed a new test that can diagnose deadly bacterial infections and identify the most appropriate antibiotic to treat them more than two days earlier than conventional approaches can.

Reducing turnaround times from infection to treatment could save patients from dying of sepsis, a serious condition in which the body overreacts to an infection, triggering tissue damage and organ failure. Once sepsis sets in, it can kill a patient within 12 hours. The goal of the new test is to identify the bacterial target quickly so the infection can be snuffed out before it advances to sepsis.