Mainz, 14.05.2020. In hospitals in Germany, infections are one of the greatest challenges. So-called sepsis, colloquially also known as blood poisoning, accounts for a major portion of these infections. According to a study by Jena University Hospital, nationwide 320,000 people develop sepsis, and one quarter of those affected die of the sequelae. This analysis implies that in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate almost 16,000 people will fall ill with sepsis each year. The faster and the more effectively the responsible pathogens can be fought, the faster the patient will recover. This also means that life-saving intensive care beds become available again more quickly, which is of major importance during the current corona pandemic. “Thanks to a new contract of Mainz University Medical Centre with software company Noscendo and TK health insurance, a new software-based method comprising a special test and a pathogen platform can now be used to identify the causative pathogens. This means that it is possible to help those insured with us more quickly and more effectively,” rejoices Jörn Simon, director of TK’s state office in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Due to low sensitivity and specificity, previously the available methods have often left physicians with no option but to treat on the basis of guidelines, offer empirical treatment and rely on their own experience. And that even though the right course of antibiotics for the right germ can be lifesaving, plain and simple. “Noscendo GmbH has connected know-how from biotechnology and software in an exciting way and has now developed a CE-certified algorithm that permits testing for approximately 1,000 pathogens in less than 24 hours by means of a single blood draw, and thus supports targeted, evidence-based and rapid treatment,” explains Dr Philip Stevens, chief executive of the limited company. By using a new class of molecules for pathogen identification, it is now possible to detect infections in blood but also in other bodily fluids in a single step with very high specificity and sensitivity, Stevens explains further.
Thanks to the new offering, which enhances the diagnosis of infectious disease with an element of precision medicine, it is now also possible to distinguish infectious pathogens from those that merely colonise patients. “This method optimally supports the treating physician during diagnosis and treatment, because it rapidly provides evidence-based insights in addition to long-established diagnostic procedures. This offering will be of major importance not only in the targeted treatment of sepsis and meningitis, but also in the management of immunosuppressed high-risk patients,” emphasises Dr med. Daniel Teschner, medical director of the medical clinic III and polyclinic of Mainz University Medical Centre.
Editorial note
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