Bloodstream infections could be diagnosed in hours with new test

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By Olivia Bowthorpe

A new test can identify within hours which bacteria are causing a bloodstream infection and determine the most effective antibiotic for treatment, researchers have said.

The test could help speed up access to treatment, potentially reducing the risk of the infection leading to sepsis.

The diagnostic process takes an average of nine hours – compared to current tests that can take days, researchers said.

It works by placing a blood sample with a culture broth in a tube which is gently rocked, encouraging the red blood cells to clump together and settle.

The enriched bacteria remain suspended in the liquid where they multiply, providing sufficient cells for testing without the usual prolonged growth period.

The technique is called 'sedimentation-assisted tandem rocking and enrichment for analysis and monitoring', or STREAM.

When the exact bacteria are unknown, current guidelines recommend broad-spectrum antibiotics, "a practice that can lead to undertreatment, worsen patient outcomes, and accelerate antimicrobial resistance," the team said in Science Advances.