Non-imaging MR application helps head off sepsis in children

An MR-based system for identifying pediatric cases of Candida infection has been shown capable of using low-volume blood specimens to efficiently diagnose or rule out candidemia, the deadliest form of sepsis-causing bloodstream infection.

Camille Hamula, PhD, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and colleagues evaluated the T2Candida platform marketed by T2 Biosystems of Lexington, Mass.

Their findings posted May 31 in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology.

After collecting whole blood from 15 children with candidemia immediately following blood culture draw, the researchers found they could reduce the amount of blood required for the test since they could pipette a small amount of blood directly onto a specialized cartridge.

Specimens were then run on T2 Biosystems’ T2Dx instrument, which uses MR to measure how water molecules react in the presence of magnetic fields.

“T2Candida panel provided the appropriate result for each specimen compared with blood culture-based species identification and correctly identified 15 positive and nine negative results in 3 to 5 hours,” the authors write in their conclusion.

In a press release sent by the vendor, Hamula adds that the ability to receive a rapid sepsis diagnosis in children “has been challenging given the large amount of blood required with currently available diagnostics. We now have the opportunity to achieve fast, accurate results using lower than previous blood volumes, which may significantly change the way we diagnose and treat young patients at risk for sepsis.”