MOD Research and Funding To Develop Predictive Sepsis Test
A new disgnostic test from the Ministry of Defence hopes to be able to predict if a patient will develop sepsis before symptoms appear.
Converting MOD sepsis research
Ploughshare Innovations is a company whose function is to convert research from government organisations to make it accessible to benefit the wider public. In the extraordinary circumstances created by the Covid-19 outbreak, it is providing funding of £200,000 to support a Wiltshire-based diagnostics company, 'Presymptom Health', to create a test which can predict if a patient is likely to develop sepsis up to three days in advance of symptoms.
Sepsis, a dysfunctional response by the body to infection, has proved to be a complicating factor in many patients who are fighting Covid-19. Scientists are hoping that they will be able to develop the test before the outbreak of a second wave of Covid-19 should this occur. This should enable medical practitioners to maximise support for patients who are identified as being vulnerable to sepsis.
It is also hoped that the test will prove useful more broadly to healthcare professionals tackling sepsis, one of the biggest killers globally. Often triggered by chest or abdominal infection, sepsis can lead to multiple organ failure and is responsible for over 40,000 deaths in the UK every year.
Sepsis diagnosis
Sepsis is a medical emergency, requiring the administration of intravenous antibiotics and fluids to patients who have been diagnosed. However, diagnosis can be delayed, sometimes leading to a very poor long-term outcome for the patient.
Diagnosis of sepsis requires early recognition of the symptoms of a high temperature or chills, shortness of breath, a reduction in urination and possible confusion. Patients may also exhibit discoloured or mottled skin. Tests may indicate low blood pressure.
MOD research in sepsis diagnosis
Ministry of Defence scientists at 'Defence Science and Technology Laboratory' have been working on a diagnostic test for sepsis for 10 years for use in fighting the effects of infection in soldiers injured on the battlefield. The funding provided to Presymptom Health should enable patients and healthcare professionals generally to benefit from this research.
Speak to a solicitor
If you or a loved one have suffered a poor long-term outcome from sepsis due to delays in your diagnosis or treatment, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
Contact Glynns Solicitors to talk to a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
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