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Updated: Jul 29, 2025
A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
Application of a sepsis flow chip (SFC) assay for the molecular diagnosis of paediatric sepsis
Dimas Seto Prasetyo1,2, Mulya Rahma Karyanti3,4, Irene Yuniar3,4
1Clinical Microbiology Medical Staff, Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Abstract:
A delay in detecting sepsis pathogens is a problematic issue for determining definitive antibiotic therapy for the causative pathogens. The gold standard method for sepsis is blood culture but this requires 3 days to detect the definitive pathogen. Molecular methods offer rapid identification of pathogens. We evaluated the use of sepsis flow chip (SFC) assay for identifying pathogens from children with sepsis. Blood samples from children with sepsis were collected and incubated in a culture device. Positive samples were subjected to amplification-hybridization using SFC assay and culture. A total of 94 samples from 47 patients were recovered, from which 25 isolates were recovered, including Klebsiella pneumoniae (11) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (6). From 25 positive blood culture bottles subjected to SFC assay, 24 genus/species and 18 resistance genes were detected. The sensitivity, specificity and conformity was 80, 94.2 and 94.68 % respectively. SFC assay offers promise to identify pathogens from positive blood culture in paediatric patients with sepsis and may support the antimicrobial stewardship programme in hospitals.
Insights
Rapidly identifying sepsis pathogens is crucial for effective antibiotic treatment. The sepsis flow chip (SFC) assay shows promise for faster pathogen detection in children with sepsis, improving antimicrobial stewardship.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Diagnostics
Background:
- Timely pathogen identification is critical for effective sepsis management and antibiotic therapy.
- Traditional blood cultures require up to three days for definitive pathogen detection, delaying treatment.
- Molecular methods offer a faster alternative for pathogen identification in sepsis cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the sepsis flow chip (SFC) assay for rapid pathogen identification in pediatric sepsis patients.
- To compare the performance of the SFC assay against standard blood culture methods.
- To assess the potential of the SFC assay in supporting antimicrobial stewardship programs.
Main Methods:
- Blood samples from pediatric sepsis patients were collected and incubated.
- Positive blood culture samples were analyzed using the sepsis flow chip (SFC) assay.
- Pathogen identification and resistance gene detection were performed using amplification-hybridization with the SFC assay.
Main Results:
- The SFC assay detected 24 genus/species and 18 resistance genes from 25 positive blood culture bottles.
- Key pathogens identified included *Klebsiella pneumoniae* and *Staphylococcus epidermidis*.
- The SFC assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 94.2%, and conformity of 94.68%.
Conclusions:
- The sepsis flow chip (SFC) assay is a promising tool for rapid pathogen identification in pediatric sepsis.
- This molecular method can significantly reduce the time to definitive pathogen detection compared to blood cultures.
- The SFC assay may enhance antimicrobial stewardship by enabling quicker, targeted antibiotic therapy decisions.
