Blood Dx to predict sepsis-related death may be within reach

A blood test to predict sepsis-related death appears within reach. Medscape reports that researchers led by Raymond Langley at the National Center for Genome Resources in Santa Fe, NM, developed a test that relies on an algorithm built from metabolomics data, clinic details, patient age, mean arterial pressure, hematocrit and temperature. For their trial, they evaluated 292 patients admitted to emergency rooms from 2005 to 2009 with suspected community-acquired sepsis. What they found: Plasma concentrations of carnitine esters dropped in patients who survived sepsis, but they became elevated in patients who died from the acute infection. Researchers say broader testing is needed to make sure their test is viable. Details are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Story (reg. req.) | Abstract