Introduction
Sepsis is one of the most urgent medical emergencies clinicians face. It can escalate rapidly, causing organ failure or death within hours. Yet standard of care methods — most commonly blood cultures — often fail to provide results quickly enough for prompt early treatment and can often miss the pathogens responsible.
The delay in identifying pathogens, negatively affects patient outcomes and increases the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to the reliance upon broad-spectrum antibiotics.
In the face of rising antimicrobial resistance, increasing hospital admissions, and tighter clinical guidelines, a shift toward rapid molecular diagnostics is not only a consideration but absolutely necessary — the shift is already underway.
At Microbio, we’re at the forefront of this shift. Our InfectID™-BSI technology is designed to support clinicians with faster, more accurate identification of bloodstream infection pathogens — helping improve patient outcomes and save lives.
What Is Sepsis, And Why Is Diagnosis So Difficult?
Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection, often arising from an existing systemic infection such as a gastrointestinal or lung infection [1]. Sepsis is notoriously hard to diagnose because its early symptoms — fever, elevated heart rate, confusion — are non-specific and overlap with many other conditions making it hard to identify sepsis early.
Here are some of the reasons why sepsis diagnostics remains a clinical challenge:
- Blood culture time to positivity is variable: Blood culture is the most common method to identify the source of infection, but time to positivity is impacted by factors such as the growth rate and burden of the pathogen as well the presence of antibiotics, all of which can delay results — this is a delay clinicians simply cannot afford [2].
- Low sensitivity: Blood culture methods are less sensitive for low bacterial concentrations and also lack some of the complex nutrients required for optimal growth of pathogens, especially those that are fastidious. Pathogens are missed in up to 50% of sepsis cases [3], especially if the patient has already received antibiotics.
- Incomplete results: Mixed infections (polymicrobial infections) often go undetected using culture based methods due to competition for growth media between species [4], leading to inadequate treatment.
- Empiric treatment dominates: Without a clear diagnosis, clinicians often rely on broad-spectrum antibiotics “just in case” — contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
This diagnostic delay creates a dangerous gap between suspected infection and confirmed treatment.
The Role of Molecular Diagnostics in Sepsis
Molecular diagnostics use technologies like quantitative PCR (qPCR) or next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect the DNA or RNA of pathogens directly from a blood sample — no need to wait for them to grow in culture.
These tests offer several advantages over conventional methods:
- Comprehensive detection – Capable of identifying multiple pathogens simultaneously
- Faster turnaround times – Some platforms return results in less than 6 hours
- Higher sensitivity – Ability to detect pathogens even in low concentrations
- Antibiotic-independent – Still effective even if antibiotics have already been administered
InfectID™-BSI: A New Standard for Sepsis Detection
Microbio’s InfectID™-BSI assay is purpose-built for rapid detection of bloodstream infection pathogens. It leverages molecular diagnostics to deliver:
- Pathogen-specific results, not just generic “positive”/ “negative” outcomes
- Results within hours, not days
- Actionable data that can inform treatment decisions early in the clinical pathway
- Broad applicability across a diverse range of patient care units, including emergency departments and ICUs.
This level of precision supports antimicrobial stewardship by enabling clinicians to de-escalate unnecessary antibiotic use and tailor treatment to the exact infection.
Why This Matters: The Human and Economic Cost of Sepsis
Globally, sepsis is estimated to affect 49 million people each year, causing 11 million deaths [5]. In high-income countries, it remains a major burden on healthcare systems globally. In low- and middle-income countries, where diagnostics are less accessible, mortality rates are even higher.
Beyond patient outcomes, delayed or inaccurate diagnosis contributes to:
- Increased ICU admissions and length of stay
- Higher rates of antibiotic resistance
- Increased hospital costs and readmissions
- Legal and reputational risk for healthcare providers
Investing in better diagnostics isn’t just about better patient care, it’s about system-wide impactful change for improved healthcare.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Sepsis Diagnosis
As the healthcare sector moves toward precision medicine, diagnostics must evolve alongside therapeutics. A growing body of clinical research supports the use of molecular diagnostics in sepsis care pathways. Regulatory bodies and health systems are beginning to acknowledge the value of faster, more accurate pathogen detection — especially as AMR becomes a top global health concern.
At Microbio, we’re collaborating with clinical partners and laboratories to demonstrate the real-world impact of InfectID™-BSI. Our vision is a future where sepsis diagnosis is no longer delayed by outdated tools — but driven by speed, precision and the necessary data to improve overall patient outcomes.
Final Thoughts
Sepsis is a race against time. When minutes matter, the diagnostic tools we rely on must keep up.
Molecular diagnostics like InfectID™-BSI offer a powerful way forward, enabling clinicians to act faster, treat smarter, and ultimately save more lives.
Want to learn more?
Contact us to speak with our team or request more information about InfectID™-BSI.
- https://www.cdc.gov/sepsis/about/index.html[↩]
- https://acortar.link/ft0SnI[↩]
- https://acortar.link/alNGyJ[↩]
- https://acortar.link/WaZcXr[↩]
- Rudd KE, Johnson SC, Agesa KM, et al. Global, regional, and national sepsis incidence and mortality, 1990-2017: analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet. 2020;395(10219):200-211. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32989-7[↩]