DNAe, the inventor of semiconductor-based genomic analysis technologies, and the developer of a new test for bloodstream infections (BSI) that can lead to sepsis, has announced new data generated with its LiDia Bloodstream Infection (BSI) technology, currently in development. The LiDia BSI method was demonstrated to detect pathogen and antibiotic resistance in samples collected from patients after receiving antibiotic therapy. Time to detection by this method was significantly shorter (hours vs. days) compared to standard-of-care blood culture testing.
Early treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics is critical for patients with BSIs. However, antibiotics can affect the growth of any bacteria present in a sample and can therefore lead to false negatives if blood culture is used for diagnosis once a patient has begun antibiotic treatment. The technology used by LiDia BSI can detect the presence of pathogens without interference by antimicrobial therapy.
Pathogens and antibiotic resistance detected by the method in samples collected from patients with suspected or confirmed BSI showed concordance with blood culture results in 31 patients pre-treated with antibiotics. The method also detected pathogens in a further nine samples, where blood culture collected concurrently produced a negative result. The results in these samples matched earlier blood culture results from the same patients. Time to result for the method was just a few hours, whereas blood culture results were available 2-5 days after specimen collection.
Clinical specimens were collected with consent from two sites, the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, USA) and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (Albuquerque, NM, USA). The largest numbers of patients with positive blood cultures in the DNAe study came from the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) (25%), surgical wards (20%) and general medical wards (17.5%), followed by Emergency Departments (ED) (12.5%). The most frequently encountered microorganisms were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Once a specific diagnosis is confirmed, patients can be treated with a more targeted antibiotic. Rapid and accurate identification of the pathogen would enable physicians to prescribe targeted treatment faster, potentially improving the patient¹s prognosis and reducing healthcare costs. It could also help to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance by preventing the over-use of broad spectrum antibiotics.
David Davidson, Chief Scientific Officer at DNAe, said, "The study demonstrates the real-world potential of LiDia BSI, and its ability to rapidly identify infectious agents even in patients who are already being treated with antibiotics. The test could help clinicians determine if patients already being treated with antibiotics are on the correct drug and may enable treatment with targeted antibiotics to begin immediately. Faster and more tailored treatment with this test could have huge implications for patient care."
