Molecular methods for septicemia diagnosis

Abstract

Septicemia remains a major cause of hospital mortality. Blood culture remains the best approach to identify the etiological microorganisms when a bloodstream infection is suspected but it takes long time because it relies on bacterial or fungal growth. The introduction in clinical microbiology laboratories of the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry technology, DNA hybridisation, microarrays or rapid PCR-based test significantly reduce the time to results. Tests for direct detection in whole blood samples are highly desirable because of their potential to identify bloodstream pathogens without waiting for blood cultures to become positive. Nonetheless, limitations of current molecular diagnostic methods are substantial. This article reviews these new molecular approaches (LightCycler SeptiFast, Magicplex sepsis real time, Septitest, VYOO, PCR/ESI-MS analysis, T2Candida).