FirstHealth is among other early adopters integrating the recently FDA cleared SeptiCyte RAPID® test into their hospital sepsis clinical workflow to address diagnostic uncertainty and improve sepsis awareness and bundle compliance.

SeptiCyte® RAPID is a sample-to-answer, cartridge-based, host response molecular test for sepsis using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to quantify the relative expression levels of host response genes isolated from whole blood. SeptiCyte® RAPID is used in conjunction with clinical assessments, vital signs and laboratory findings as an aid to differentiate infection-positive (sepsis) from

infection-negative systemic inflammation response syndromes in patients with escalating signs and symptoms of critical illness.

“It’s a very easy test to run, so from the lab point of view, it’s been simple to implement,” noted Kimberly Starr, PhD, assistant director, microbiology at FirstHealth of the Carolinas in a press release. 

SeptiCyte RAPID will be available at FirstHealth as a tool in differentiating sepsis-positive cases from patients with infection negative systemic inflammation.

“After my involvement in the clinical validation of SeptiCyte RAPID, I wanted to bring SeptiCyte RAPID to our hospital because we believe it has a role in helping us identify true sepsis cases earlier, with the expectation that with earlier identification we can mitigate the severity of a sepsis episode or progression to septic shock,” commented Russell R. Miller III, MD, MPH, medical director of critical care services at FirstHealth in a press release.

“Dr. Miller has played an integral role in pioneering SeptiCyte RAPID in clinical trials, and now its early adoption at FirstHealth to aid in the diagnosis of sepsis in the critical care setting,” said Rollie Carlson, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Immunexpress in a press release. “SeptiCyte RAPID fills a largely unmet need for the rapid diagnosis of patients with escalating signs and symptoms of sepsis and the test provides clinicians with actionable results in approximately one hour from a simple blood draw. We look forward to contributing to improved patient outcomes for individuals suspected of sepsis, and to the rollout of SeptiCyte RAPID in healthcare systems in the United States and beyond.”