Both early diagnosis and prompt administration of antimicrobial therapy are crucial for treating sepsis and saving lives. However, it takes time to identify the pathogen causing an infection, so treatment for sepsis commonly begins with broad-spectrum antibiotics, which are effective against a wide range of bacteria. Unfortunately, broad-spectrum antibiotics can contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Because the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens is occurring faster than the creation of new drugs to fight them, AMR is now one of the world’s biggest healthcare threats. The World Health Organization states that “without effective antimicrobials for prevention and treatment of infections, medical procedures such as organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, diabetes management, and major surgery become very high risk”. Efficient sepsis diagnosis and treatment are crucial in the fight against AMR.

A biomarker is “a defined characteristic that is measured as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or biological responses to an exposure or intervention, including therapeutic interventions.” For example, the biomarker procalcitonin (PCT) increases rapidly in the presence of an infection and decreases as an infection recedes. PCT can help clinicians evaluate whether a patient has sepsis, and if so, begin antimicrobial therapy.

In addition to biomarkers such as PCT, the laboratory can use blood culture and identification tools to grow and then identify the pathogen causing an infection. Laboratory technicians can then follow identification with antibiotic susceptibility testing to help the clinician select more appropriate antibiotic therapy if necessary.

Throughout this process, periodically checking PCT levels can help clinicians monitor whether treatment is working and decide when it is safe to stop antibiotic therapy. PCT-guided therapy may help reduce antibiotic exposure without increasing the mortality rate among patients in intensive care units.

In addition to helping save lives, rapid diagnosis and treatment for sepsis can also help reduce healthcare costs. Adult patients with septic shock are more likely to survive to hospital discharge when clinicians can provide effective antimicrobials within the first hour of documenting hypotension (low blood pressure). Delaying appropriate treatment increases mortality rate. Using diagnostic tools such as biomarkers and antibiotic susceptibility tests helps healthcare teams to administer appropriate treatment.  This can save healthcare costs by reducing the length of time patients must spend in the hospital.

Ultimately, as many as 80% of sepsis deaths could be prevented through early identification and swift initiation of appropriate treatment.

Opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of bioMérieux, Inc.