SoutheastHEALTH First in the Region to Introduce Rapid Diagnostic Technology
Aimed at Optimizing Antibiotic Therapies
Cape Girardeau, MO. (June 1, 2021) – SoutheastHEALTH has implemented a state-of-the-art rapid diagnostic technology focused on helping clinicians deliver optimal antibiotic therapies more quickly for patients suffering from serious bloodstream infections. Southeast is the pioneer in bringing this technology to the region.
Lauren Thomas, Executive Director of Laboratory Services at SoutheastHEALTH, said getting patients on the best therapy as quickly as possible is crucial. “Our new system, Accelerate Pheno®, is designed to help clinicians obtain faster diagnostic results which improves outcomes, reduces the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for blood stream infections and shortens patients’ length of stay. Just as importantly, this technology can help reduce the risk of a patient developing sepsis. Our Microbiology lab has been able to provide antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) results using the Accelerate Pheno® system up to 40 hours faster than conventional methods.”
Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, amputations and death. People of all ages can get sepsis. Those at higher risk include people with a chronic illness, the very young, older adults and people with compromised immune systems due to certain medications or chemotherapy. In the U.S. alone, more than 1.5 million people develop sepsis and 250,000 die from it annually. Early diagnosis and targeted antibiotic therapy is vital in reducing mortality among these patients.
The Accelerate Pheno® system is made by Tucson, Arizona-based Accelerate Diagnostics. The in vitro diagnostic system identifies organisms direct from positive blood cultures and performs AST to determine which drugs, at which concentrations, may be most effective in treating the organism. Traditional AST can take 48 hours or more. The Accelerate Pheno® system delivers results in about seven hours. “This amazing technology is not just a time saver,” Thomas said. “In many sepsis cases, it’s a lifesaver.”
About SoutheastHEALTH
At SoutheastHEALTH, the region's premier healthcare system in southeast Missouri, our patients receive excellent care of the highest clinical quality, close to home. Within our network are more than 50 care locations in 13 communities, including hospitals, primary and specialty care clinics representing over 30 clinical specialties and extending care for patients in a four-state area. Learn more at SEhealth.org.
About Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc.
Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc., is an in vitro diagnostics company dedicated to providing solutions for the global challenges of antibiotic resistance and sepsis. The Accelerate Pheno® system and Accelerate Pheno Test® BC kit combine several technologies aimed at reducing the time clinicians must wait to determine the most optimal antibiotic therapy for deadly infections. The FDA cleared system and kit fully automate the sample preparation steps to report phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility results in approximately 7 hours direct from positive blood cultures. Recent customer studies indicate the solution offers results one to two days faster than existing methods, enabling clinicians to optimize antibiotic therapy for patients up to two days faster and reducing patients’ length of stay by up to two days.
