Septicemia (aka Bloodstream Infections, BSI, Bacteremia)

Septicemia is a serious, systemic illness caused by bacteria and bacterial toxins circulating in the bloodstream. During the past 30 years, it has become an increasingly common condition among hospitalized patients. Today, septicemia is the 6th most common principal reason for hospitalization in the United States, accounting for 1.67 million hospital stays in 2009 according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (1). That is nearly 1 out of every 23 hospital patients or about 4,600 new cases every day.

With an in-hospital mortality rate of 16%, every year more than 266,000 patients die from the infection, making it one of the most serious and costly conditions afflicting hospital patients.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Septicemia can be very difficult to diagnose. Initial symptoms include fever, elevated heart rate and rapid breathing which are common symptoms of many other diseases. To confirm a diagnosis, blood cultures are drawn to isolate the infecting bacteria or fungi, a process which can take several days. Therefore, patients are often treated empirically with broad-spectrum antibiotics until more information is available from the microbiology laboratory.

Unfortunately, with the increasing incidence of antibiotic resistant pathogens and a lack of new antibiotics to combat them, many patients go without appropriate or effective therapy for days, and in some cases, no antibiotic therapy at all. This leads to higher mortality rates, longer hospital stays and higher hospital costs.

The key to improving outcomes and reducing the cost of septicemia is to ensure that the underlying infection is diagnosed and appropriately treated as early as possible.(2)

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PNA FISH vs. Conventional Methods

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PNA FISH® Test Selection for Positive Blood Cultures

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PNA FISH® Procedure