New rapid blood test for sepsis could be breakthrough for patients.
A new blood test that can rapidly identify sepsis in patients could provide a breakthrough in treating the difficult to diagnose condition.
The non-invasive and inexpensive test, which uses patient blood samples to identify high levels of DNA fragments associated with the condition in just 45 minutes, is being trialled for the first time at two UK hospitals.
If successful in a wider trial, it could be used to screen patients for the illness when they present with symptoms at A&E or if their condition deteriorates on a hospital ward.
It could also help doctors identify the sickest patients quicker and respond faster to prevent someone rapidly becoming more ill.
Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, is difficult to identify and there is currently no test to diagnose it.