New Blood Test Revolutionizes Diagnosis of Childhood Fever, Reducing Unwarranted Antibiotic Use
A groundbreaking blood test has been hailed as a game-changer by researchers, as it can diagnose the cause of a child’s fever in less than an hour. The current diagnostic tests often take up to 72 hours to provide results, resulting in unnecessary antibiotic use. However, a global team led by researchers from Imperial College London has developed a test that identifies specific gene responses to infections and diseases, enabling faster diagnoses and addressing the issue of antibiotic overuse.
The researchers analyzed data from 1,212 patients across 18 disease classes, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and tuberculosis. By identifying the key genes that are switched on or off in response to these illnesses, they were able to establish a molecular signature of disease. Utilizing machine learning, they then linked specific patterns with particular conditions, focusing on 161 genes.
To validate their findings, the team tested the new approach on 411 hospitalized children with sepsis or severe infections caused by 13 of the 18 diseases. The results, published in medical journal Cell Press Med, demonstrated the effectiveness of the method and its potential to significantly improve the diagnosis of childhood diseases, eliminate delays and missed diagnoses, and have a substantial impact on healthcare, especially in developing regions.
The new test offers the hope of reducing the overuse of antibiotics in children. Currently, antibiotics are prescribed until an antibacterial infection can be ruled out, which can sometimes take hours or even days. The delay in receiving the right treatment can result in a worsening of the patient’s condition. The ability to rapidly diagnose the cause of a child’s fever could be transformative for healthcare.
Professor Dr. Michael Levin, Chair of Paediatrics and International Child Health at Imperial’s Department of Infectious Diseases, emphasized the urgency of improving diagnostics. He stated that despite advancements in medical technology, the initial approach to treating a child with a fever is still based on the doctor’s impression. This delay in receiving accurate results hampers timely treatment, making the development of more efficient diagnostics vital.
Dr. Myrsini Kaforou, a senior lecturer in Imperial’s Department of Infectious Diseases and a co-author of the study, shared that the research has identified the molecular signature of various diseases among thousands of genes in the human genome. By distinguishing between multiple diseases simultaneously, the multi-disease diagnostic approach provides a more comprehensive and accurate model aligned with the way clinicians approach diagnosis.
While the research team acknowledges that there is still work to be done to advance the test into clinical settings, they are actively working towards making it a reality.
Funded by the European Union’s Horizon2020 program, the Wellcome Trust, and the Medical Research Foundation, the team’s work received support from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Imperial Biomedical Research Centre. The collaboration between experts from infectious disease, molecular science, and bioinformatics has made this significant advancement possible.
In conclusion, the availability of a rapid blood test for diagnosing childhood fever has the potential to revolutionize healthcare. By providing accurate results in under an hour, this test could save precious time and ensure that children receive the right treatment promptly. It also has the added benefit of reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics. While further development is required, this breakthrough stands as a beacon of hope for improved diagnostics and better healthcare outcomes for children around the world.
