Timely monitoring of bacterial DNA load in whole blood using SepsiTest™ indicates successful antibiotic therapy

Original article:
Sakka S., Kochem A.J., Disqué, C. Wellinghausen, N. (2009) Blood infection diagnosis by 16S rDNA broad spectrum PCR - relation between antibiotic treatment and bacterial DNA load. Anesthesia & Analgesia 109: 1707-1708.

Abstract: In this case study  a patient with multiple myeloma developed high fever 6 days after stem cell transplantation. At this time the patient received broad-spectrum antibiotics. The first blood culture was taken before antibiotic therapy followed by the second blood culture at the other day and the third one hour later. The first two blood cultures were positive for Staphylococcus epidermidis while the last remained negative.

With SepsiTest™ all three blood samples were positive for Staphylococcus epidermidis (sequencing). Quantitative Real-Time PCR indicated a decrease in bacterial DNA load following the first to the last blood sample. The authors conclude that the effect of the antibiotic therapy  could be monitored faster with SepsiTest™ (4 hours until PCR detection result) than with blood culture (11.9 to 15.5 hours).