A new rapid test for earlier diagnosis of sepsis has been developed by University of Strathclyde researchers. The new test uses a device to detect if one of the protein biomarkers of sepsis, interleukin-6 (IL-6), is present in the blood. Read about the test here

Here’s a comment from our CEO Dr Ron Daniels about the research:

More people die in the UK every year from sepsis than from breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined. Yet with early diagnosis it is easily treatable and we believe that earlier diagnosis and treatment across the UK would save at least 14,000 lives a year.

Any kind of test that enables us to identify sepsis earlier, before symptoms even present themselves, could help save even more lives and bring us closer to our goal of ending preventable deaths from sepsis.

A system which can place results to aid diagnosis of sepsis into the clinicians’ hand at the bedside has the power to speed its treatment and save lives. Whilst we still don’t have the perfect test for sepsis, this announcement serves to remind us that technology is advancing ever closer to providing the answers.”