Quantamatrix has announced that it has installed dRAST™ platforms in 12 European hospital labs and private lab chains.

The CE-IVD marked product was launched in Europe last June and is designed to accelerate the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis patients.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. For clinical operationalization, organ dysfunction can be represented by an increase in the Sequential (Sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score of two points or more, which is associated with an in-hospital mortality rate greater than 10%.[1]

In 2017, of the 48.9 million patients diagnosed with sepsis, 11 million died. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, infected people can also develop secondary bacterial infections.

It is estimated that almost 15% of people hospitalized with Covid-19 go on to develop bacterial pneumonia, some of which are resistant to existing antibiotics.

With the onset of sepsis, the mortality rate rapidly increases. Every hour counts; a fast and accurate antibiotic prescription through rapid diagnosis is therefore critical.

The dRAST platform offers Rapid Phenotypic MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) results interpreted in as little as four hours, enabling antibiotic therapy to be adapted for optimal patient and hospital use.

This saves up to 48 hours compared to conventional Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing methods. This directly benefits the patient, including saving lives, helps clinicians provide better care and reduces the overall cost for the healthcare system.

The equipped laboratories include the Hôpital Européen George Pompidou and Hôpital Henry Mondor in France, Slagelse Hospital in Denmark, the Labormedizinisches Zentrum Dr Risch in Switzerland, the MVZ Labor Ravensburg GbR in Germany, Cork University Hospital in Ireland, Coventry University Hospital in the UK, the Mestre Ospedale Dell' Angelo in Italy, Liege University Hospital in Belgium and three renowned hospitals in Norway, Switzerland and Sweden, as yet undisclosed.

The dRAST evaluation phases are run in three steps:

Technical – to validate that the instrument works and delivers the expected results

Clinical – to make sure that the generated results have a significant impact on patients

Economic – to ensure the economic adoption of the product by the hospital or private institution

All but one of the sites are now in phase 3 of the evaluation, which means finalization of the routine use of the system. Hôpital Henri Mondor is just starting its evaluation and is in phase 1.

"Using our dRAST product can bring same-shift results, saving up to two days on the selection of the optimal treatment for the bacterial or fungi infection," said Gerald Ulrich, vice-president and chief executive officer of Quantamatrix Europe. "When there are delays in accurate diagnosis, misuse of antimicrobials can increase, making treatment more difficult and spreading antimicrobial resistance. Our product enables faster and more optimal prescriptions."

Quantamatrix holds seven patent families for dRAST technology, with a proprietary portfolio fully owned by the company and no licencing.

For more information, visit www.quantamatrix.com or use the 'Request Information' button provided below.