Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa is now piloting a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared blood test from a commercial-stage medical diagnostics company that's expected to save both lives and money.
With the pilot, Froedtert becomes the first hospital in Wisconsin and in the Midwest to offer the life-saving technology in its emergency room, according to a press release.
The technology is from a San Francisco-based company called Cytovale. The firm's IntelliSep medical device is the first FDA-cleared rapid-diagnostic test for the early detection of sepsis in an emergency department setting, Cytovale and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health system said in the release.
The companies said sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, with more than one-third of all in-hospital deaths attributed to the condition. About 80% of sepsis patients present to emergency departments, where it can be difficult to discern from ordinary infections or other conditions that can mimic sepsis.
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"We see the potential impact a sepsis test can have on improving patient care and streamlining efficiencies in hospital operations," said Nathan Ledeboer, Medical College of Wisconsin chief of clinical pathology and associate chief medical laboratory officer for the Froedtert & MCW health network.
Cytovale's diagnostic machine reportedly can diagnose sepsis in as little as 10 minutes, saving valuable time that can lead to early treatment and dramatically reduce mortality rates.
The medical device was born out of groundbreaking research in UCLA from its chief technology officer, Henry Tse, which analyzes the micro fluidic properties of cells to detect sepsis, according to a report from Wisconsin Inno partner Bay Area Inno.
Although the obvious benefit of using the device is its life-saving potential, the technology also can help keep hospital costs down.
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A peer-reviewed study analyzing the viability of the machine at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, found it to reduce patient hospital stays and save its emergency rooms $1,429 per patient. It was also able to reduce the number of needle sticks per patient and prescriptions of antibiotics.
For the local pilot, patients who present at the emergency department at Froedtert Hospital with signs and symptoms of an infection will be screened with IntelliSep. According to data from other health systems, IntelliSep has enabled a 30% reduction in the relative risk of mortality.
"Any tool that we can deploy during (emergency department) triage to ensure that patients get the care that they need is invaluable," Froedtert's Ledeboer said. "This is the first blood test our clinicians have ever had in their toolbox that provides valuable insight into a patient's immune system to detect sepsis earlier and make more informed treatment decisions."
