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A rapid blood test to help diagnose deadly conditions such as sepsis and meningitis in kids is being trialled in the NHS . The 15-minute test can quickly tell medics whether young patients are suffering from a potentially life-threatening bacterial or viral infection. Doctors currently rely on blood test results from a lab which can take several hours. Instead, the new test can rapidly work out whether a patient has an infection that may need immediate antibiotics. Experts believe the change could save lives and have a "massive impact" on the emergency care of children. And it's already making a difference. In one case, a child with meningococcal meningitis was treated much more quickly and another with sepsis started antibiotics straight away. Enitan Carrol, professor of paediatric infection at the University of Liverpool, who is leading the trial of the technology, said: "Many of the children who come to hospital have a fever and this test can quickly distinguish between a minor viral illness like a cold, or a more serious infection. "Our study is investigating whether this definitive test for a bacterial or viral infection will be useful in helping doctors make faster decisions and reducing the use of unnecessary antibiotics – all of which is better for patients and the NHS." The NHS trial is ongoing within three emergency departments at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, St Mary's Hospital in London and Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle. Dr Charlotte Durand, consultant in paediatric emergency medicine at Alder Hey, said the test "could have a massive impact on the emergency care of paediatric patients". Dr Ron Daniels, founder and chief medical officer of the UK Sepsis Trust, said the test could save "dozens of young lives" each year. He told the PA news agency: "A recent national publication suggested that, among the deaths of approximately 500 children each year where infection was present, care was suboptimal in 40% of cases. "Making the right decision around early antimicrobial prescribing in children who need antibiotics the most has potential to save dozens of young lives every year." He said severe infections and sepsis are "one of the greatest acute illness burdens facing our NHS", while resistance to antibiotics, which is largely caused by overprescribing, also affects thousands of patients. He added: "Using antibiotics more wisely – meaning both withholding them in people who won't benefit and giving them urgently to people who need the most – has never been more important. "This new [NHS] research, examining the real-world performance of one of a wide range of potentially important new tests, aims to distinguish between people with bacterial infection who may well require and benefit from antibiotics and people with viral infection, who will not benefit." The study looking at the MeMed BV test will run until March.
