Summary: Cytovale announced that the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin health network has begun a pilot program to screen patients with the IntelliSep rapid test for early sepsis detection in emergency departments.

Takeaways:

  1. IntelliSep’s Implementation: Froedtert Hospital is the first in Wisconsin and the Midwest to implement IntelliSep, a rapid sepsis detection test that provides results in about eight minutes, aiding in early and accurate identification of sepsis in the emergency department.
  2. Clinical Impact: IntelliSep has been shown to reduce the relative risk of mortality by 30% and decrease the number of unnecessary blood cultures, which also shortens the length of stay in the emergency department, saving an average of $1,429 per patient.
  3. Enhanced Patient Care: The Froedtert & MCW health network’s adoption of IntelliSep is part of its commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to improve patient care and operational efficiencies, particularly in managing sepsis, a leading cause of in-hospital deaths.

Cytovale, a medical diagnostics company focused on advancing early detection technologies to diagnose fast-moving and immune-mediated diseases, announced that the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network is now screening patients with IntelliSep in a pilot at its flagship hospital, Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. 

IntelliSep for Rapid Sepsis Detection

IntelliSep is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared rapid diagnostic test for the early detection of sepsis in an emergency department (ED) setting. Froedtert Hospital is the first in Wisconsin and in the Midwest to offer this life-saving technology, says Cytovale.

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.

“The Froedtert & MCW health network is committed to offering patients the best care and a definitive test is a valuable addition to our sepsis management program. A team of Medical College of Wisconsin researchers has worked closely with Cytovale over the years. We see the potential impact a sepsis test can have on improving patient care and streamlining efficiencies in hospital operations,” says Nathan Ledeboer, PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin chief of Clinical Pathology and associate chief medical laboratory officer for the Froedtert & MCW health network.

He added: “We are well aware of the difficulty in identifying potentially septic patients when they present to our ED. Any tool that we can deploy during ED triage to ensure that patients get the care that they need is invaluable. 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.”

A New Approach to Sepsis Detection

Now, patients who present at the ED at Froedtert Hospital with signs and symptoms of an infection will be screened with IntelliSep. Per data from other health systems, IntelliSep has enabled a 30% reduction in relative risk of mortality.

IntelliSep arms clinicians with a new, objective measure of a patient’s immune system response. IntelliSep tests patient blood samples to see if the way white blood cells respond to an infection indicates the presence of sepsis. The test expedites effective triage and treatment. In about eight minutes, it provides results that can empower clinicians to guide septic and non-septic patients to appropriate care pathways, the company says.

IntelliSep has been shown to significantly reduce the number of blood cultures drawn and reduce patients’ length of stay in the ED, resulting in an average savings of $1,429 per patient.

“The Froedtert & MCW health network is a leader in adopting cutting-edge technologies that empower our team to provide the best care possible for our patients,” says Matthew Chinn, MD, senior medical director, Froedtert Emergency Department. “We are looking forward to having this new sepsis detection tool in our Emergency Department and taking sepsis detection and management to the next level.” 

Prior to being implemented in the Froedtert & MCW health network, the technology was first launched at hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi through Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System.

Further reading: Cytovale’s Sepsis Diagnostic Triages First 5,000 Patients