Faster Way to Detect Sepsis in Newborn Discovered

A new method that can immensely reduce the detection time of sepsis has been devised by Indian researchers.

Researchers at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital's department of haematology have devised the method which will bring down the sepsis detection timing from 24-72 hours to just two hours.

Sepsis / Septicemia-Causes-Symptoms-Treatment-Complications
Septicemia or sepsis is a serious illness wherein a patient develops symptoms due to presence of microbes or their toxins in the blood. Septicemia or sepsis is caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi.

"Neonatal sepsis pose a major problem in India with septicemia and pneumonia accounting for 52 percent deaths in home-cared rural born neonates," said Manorama Bhargava, lead author of the study and haematology department chairperson.

"Early detection is challenging as clinical signs are subjective, and requires 1-3 days," she said.

The method is based on a study done on 92 infants and it was published in the International Journal of Hematology.

New Discovery Allows Rapid Diagnosis of Sepsis
Effective treatments for sepsis remain elusive, despite numerous advances in treating infections and disease.

According to doctors, the new method will help in preventing extra usage of antibiotics and the diagnosis cost remains the same.

Source-IANS

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