[Advances of microfluidic technologies applied in diagnosis and treatment of sepsis]

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. It is characterized by rapid progression, high mortality, and frequent sequelae. Early diagnosis and timely treatment can improve patient survival and long-term prognosis. Biomarkers such as procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been widely used in the early diagnosis of sepsis, but there still exist limitations on their specificity and sensitivity. Microfluidic technology was applied for the detection of some biomarkers and pathogenic microorganisms, not only because it has a higher specificity and sensitivity for the early diagnosis of sepsis, but also has a certain evaluation value for the severity of sepsis and the prognosis of patients. These quick and accurate methods have the feasibility of clinical application. To demonstrate the value of microfluidic technology for early diagnosis of sepsis and to guide the improvement of future research, the application of microfluidic technology in the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis was reviewed in this article.