A blood test that can quickly detect whether a patient has sepsis has been trialled, in a potential breakthrough for the notoriously difficult disease to diagnose.
Sepsis is caused when the immune system overreacts to an infection and kills around 48,000 people in the UK each year. It kills more people each year than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined. In severe cases, death may occur within a few hours.
The test provides results within 45 minutes and costs between £20 and £30.
Key to this process are cells called neutrophils, which are the body’s first line of defense against infection. Cells patrol the bloodstream looking for potential threats.
When activated during infection,