Living Diagnostics

Patient associations across the globe are actively engaged in promoting this critical message to both healthcare professionals and the broader public. We met with Dr Rafael Moraes from ILAS, Melissa Mead from The UK Sepsis Trust and Thomas Heymann from Sepsis Alliance to learn more about their actions.

Could 2025 be the year that endotoxin testing finally catches up with the 21st century? Unlike other areas of Pharmaceutical Quality Control where innovations such as data analytics and automation have driven extensive modernization, endotoxin testing has remained resolutely stuck in the past. This vital Quality Control procedure has until recently relied on outdated testing practices that require the blood of horseshoe crabs. Significantly, new authoritative standards have recently recognized alternative testing methods that can deliver the same important validation, without relying on animal-derived products. What are these new standards and what could their integration mean for the future of endotoxin testing?

Studies show that the rapid administration of antibiotics has been generally associated with a decrease in deaths among hospitalized patients with sepsis. However, the need to quickly administer effective therapy can lead to clinicians turning to broad-spectrum antibiotics, which can exacerbate antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Because AMR is a major healthcare concern—including for patients with sepsis—improving the alignment between sepsis protocols and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) guidelines is important for patient care.

Following their introduction over half a century ago, Intensive Care Units (ICUs) have played an invaluable role in caring for patients who are critically ill or seriously injured. However, infections such as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a common problem in the ICU, resulting in the frequent use and sometimes overuse of life-saving antibiotics in those settings. While antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a process that naturally occurs over time, it is important to note that the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, even when utilized in intensive care environments, is contributing to the further emergence of resistant pathogens.