By Simon Danneskiold-Samsøe, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo: AAU

Blood poisoning is a serious and life-threatening disease that costs the lives of thousands of elderly Danes every year. If blood poisoning is suspected, it is crucial to quickly give the right treatment with antibiotics. However, effective antibiotic treatment requires doctors to know the type of infection, which is why rapid and accurate diagnosis is crucial for the patient's treatment and ultimately survival chances. In a new scientific article, researchers from Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital show that the new DNA test can detect the same bacteria as the traditional blood culture method. At the same time, the new method can identify a much wider spectrum of bacteria and potentially significantly faster. 

- When we look for DNA from bacteria in the bloodstream, it is a very small needle in a very large haystack. Therefore, we have developed advanced methods in the laboratory to capture the relevant DNA that enables an accurate diagnosis. Once we have captured the DNA, it is decoded with sequencing and algorithms that tell us which microorganism is to blame for the blood poisoning, so that the patient can receive targeted treatment, says PhD student Morten Eneberg Nielsen from AAU.

Huge potential

The researchers have worked closely with the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Aalborg University Hospital, where there is enthusiasm for the perspectives of the new method.

- With further optimization, we will be able to diagnose blood poisoning faster, and this can have a major impact on patients. An earlier and more precise treatment can improve the patient pathway, shorten the length of hospitalization, and ultimately save lives. Therefore, there is every reason to be positive about the prospects of the project, says Hans Linde Nielsen, chief physician in charge of research at the Department of Clinical Microbiology.

Positive side effects

In addition to the life-saving rapid diagnosis, the new DNA test also has the potential to reduce general antibiotic resistance, because doctors can suppress blood poisoning without using broad-spectrum antibiotics. The project has just received a grant of three million euros from the BioInnovation Institute to ensure that the new diagnostic method benefits patients in hospitals as soon as possible.

Additional info:

Read the scientific article at American Society for Microbiology.

Contact:

Morten Eneberg Nielsen, PhD student, Aalborg University, tel.: 23658557, menie@bio.aau.dk

Hans Linde Nielsen, Chief Physician in Charge of Research at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Aalborg University Hospital, tel.: 97665423, halin@rn.dk

Simon Danneskiold-Samsøe, journalist AAU Communication and Public Affairs, tel.: 31157533, ssd@adm.aau.dk