T2 Biosystems, a provider in the rapid detection of sepsis-causing pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, praised actions taken by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed at optimizing hospital sepsis programs in the United States.
The CDC’s newly-released Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements is intended to help hospitals implement, monitor, and optimize sepsis programs and improve survival rates. The program includes seven elements: hospital leadership commitment, accountability, multi-professional expertise, action, tracking, reporting, and education.
“Sepsis is taking too many lives. One in three people who dies in a hospital has sepsis during that hospitalization. Rapid diagnosis and immediate appropriate treatment, including antibiotics, are essential to saving lives, yet the challenges of awareness about and recognition of sepsis are enormous,” says Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, CDC Director in the release announcing the Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements. “That’s why CDC is calling on all U.S. hospitals to have a sepsis program and raise the bar on sepsis care by incorporating these seven core elements.”
T2Biosystems’ products, including the T2Dx Instrument, the T2Bacteria Panel, and the T2Candida Panel, are FDA-cleared products able to detect sepsis-causing pathogens directly from whole blood, in 3-5 hours, without the need to wait days for a positive blood culture, according to the company. The limitations of blood culture are well-known, including poor sensitivity and lengthy time to result.
Data shows that empiric protocols used to administer antimicrobials are only optimal in 30-60% of cases, and mortality risk increases by up to 8% for each hour of delayed targeted antimicrobial treatment. Rapid detection of sepsis-causing pathogens is essential to achieve faster targeted antimicrobial therapy, improve antibiotic stewardship, and reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
“We applaud the CDC and Director Dr. Mandy Cohen for taking action to address the sepsis crisis that is plaguing U.S. hospitals and causing the death of hundreds of thousands of Americans each year,” says John Sperzel, Chairman and CEO at T2 Biosystems. “We cannot continue to rely on decades-old technologies and past processes that are failing patients, payors, and providers. We believe CDC’s leadership will serve as a catalyst to accelerate the adoption of new products and technologies that can enhance the standard of care, reduce cost, and improve patient outcomes.”
Sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, causing the death of approximately 350,000 Americans each year, including 80,000 following discharges to hospice, according to a release from the company.
