Scientists have introduced a 15-minute test which can fast-track detecting whether a patient is suffering from a bacterial or viral infection.
As reported by the Guardian, National Health Service (NHS) UK is trialing a rapid blood test to help diagnose life-threatening conditions in children.
According to the NHS, these MeMed BV blood tests will help diagnose several infections in children in shortest time.
Medical experts believe the innovation could save lives by enabling faster and more appropriate treatment combating antibiotic resistance.
The newly introduced 15-minute blood test can speed up the diagnosis of illnesses such as sepsis or meningitis by telling medical practitioners whether a patient is suffering from a bacterial or viral infection.
Moreover, health experts inform that instead of relying on regular blood test results, which can take several hours and require lab analysis, fast track tests can rapidly indicate whether a patient has an infection that could benefit from immediate antibiotics or not.
Doctors who participated in the trial said they have witnessed significant benefits from these quick tests.
Following a case of one child with meningococcal meningitis, who received treatment much more quickly, and another with sepsis, who started antibiotics straight away after having their trial tests.
Moreover, NHS England has funded a trial of the technology in three emergency departments, including Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, St Mary’s Hospital in London, and Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.
Enitan Carrol, professor of pediatric infection at Liverpool University, reports that many children who frequently visit hospitals have fever, and this sort of test can quickly distinguish between a minor viral illness like a cold and a more serious infection.
“Our study is investigating whether this definitive test for a bacterial or viral infection will be useful in helping doctors make faster decisions and reducing the use of unnecessary antibiotics – all of which is better for patients and the NHS,” said Enitan Carrol.
Another pediatric consultant, Dr Charlotte Durand at Alder Hey, said the test “could have a massive impact on the emergency care of pediatric patients”.
Dr Ron Daniels, founder and chief medical officer of the UK Sepsis Trust, also stated that these rapid tests could save lives.
“A recent national publication suggested that, among the deaths of approximately 500 children each year where infection was present, care was suboptimal in 40% of cases," said Dr Ron Daniels.
“Making the right decision around early antimicrobial prescribing in children who need antibiotics, the most has the potential to save dozens of young lives every year,” Ron added.
Dr Ron also explained that severe infections and sepsis are “one of the greatest acute illness burdens facing our NHS”. At the same time, resistance to antibiotics, which is primarily caused by overprescribing, also affects thousands of patients.
In addition to that, Professor Simon Kenny at NHS England, said, “Innovations like the 15-minute blood test speed up diagnosis and allow focused treatment, as well as freeing up resources to treat more patients, so it’s great we’re able to trial the test this winter when the NHS is at its busiest.”
“A quick and reliable test like this can help doctors make faster decisions, and reduce the need for unnecessary antibiotics, which is better for patients, parents, and the NHS,” he added.
Furthermore, the study, which aims to assess the real-world performance and integration of these MeMed BV blood tests into clinical systems, is scheduled to run until March 2026.