Same day sensitivity results for positive blood cultures.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The use of Scattered Light Integrating Collector technology to produce same day sensitivity results on Gram negative organisms isolated from positive blood cultures
IRAS ID
266558
Contact name
Leila White
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
n/a, n/a
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
Patients with sepsis have blood culture samples taken and these are processed in the laboratory. If positive, a Gram stain for microscopy is prepared to provide an initial result to guide treatment. Bacteria is grown from the blood allowing identification of the bacteria and preliminary antibiotic sensitivities to be available after 24 hours. Further processing on a VITEK instrument gives final antibiotic sensitivity results after a further 24 hours (48 in total).
This research plans to test a novel technology whereby antibiotic sensitivities will be available within approximately 2 hours of processing, which will occur once the initial Gram stain microscopy is complete.The blood that is processed using the current procedure will be used for the new method.
An established identification technique will be used to gain an organism identification at this point which in combination with the antibiotic results, will provide a final result on the same day.
Information collected will be analysed to determine if theoretically any antibiotic changes could have been made for the patient based on the results of the new method.
This rapid technology could potentially help with advising the most appropriate targeted (narrow spectrum) antibiotics for the patient the same day their blood culture is processed rather than waiting up to 48 hours as is currently the procedure. The benefits of administering antibiotics based on a correct final report on the same day the Gram stain is available are: improved antimicrobial stewardship –the right antibiotics at the right time, reducing the patients exposure to broad spectrum antibiotics, reduced use of inappropriate antibiotics at the beginning of the patients course, reduced use of gentamicin (a nephro- and oto- toxic antibiotic) which is considered as a ‘holding antibiotic’ whilst waiting for results.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0701
Date of REC Opinion
12 Dec 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion