Bloodstream Infection Diagnosis Accelerated
Researchers have developed a new diagnostic method called STREAM that identifies bloodstream pathogens and antibiotic susceptibility within hours rather than days. The technique uses sedimentation and molecular probes to provide rapid results, potentially reducing the reliance on broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Why it matters
Rapid diagnosis of bloodstream infections is crucial for preventing sepsis and combating antimicrobial resistance, representing a major advancement in clinical microbiology.
SINGLE-CELL bloodstream infection diagnosis delivered pathogen identification and susceptibility results from whole blood within hours.
Bloodstream infections can progress to life-threatening sepsis, making rapid identification and effective antimicrobial treatment critical. However, conventional blood culture may require 2 to 7 days to produce definitive results. During that interval, clinicians commonly rely on empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics, which may provide inadequate treatment or contribute to antimicrobial resistance.
Researchers developed sedimentation-assisted tandem rocking and enrichment for analysis and monitoring, known as STREAM. The method combines bacterial enrichment with the removal of red blood cells from whole blood.
Blood is mixed with a customized culture broth and dextran before gentle rocking. The dextran causes red blood cells to aggregate and settle, while bacteria remain suspended in a nutrient-rich upper layer and continue multiplying. Samples can be collected at intervals while the remaining culture continues incubating, helping preserve the ability to detect slow-growing organisms.
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