Rapid detection of more than 30 sepsis-causing pathogens and their drug-resistance markers directly from whole blood.
Sepsis is a medical emergency. Globally, mortality attributable to sepsis is measured in thousands of deaths per day, and mortality can reach 50% in certain critically ill populations. Survival was 82% when effective antimicrobial therapy was administered within one hour of documented sepsis in the ID Labs source material — timely identification of the causative pathogen is decisive.
Sepsis is suspected with fever or hypothermia, altered mental status, hypotension, dyspnoea or abdominal pain, and progresses to organ dysfunction when uncontrolled. It may be caused by Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria, fungi or (less commonly) viruses, and is increasingly complicated by antimicrobial resistance.
Conventional blood culture — indispensable for confirming viable organisms and performing susceptibility testing — takes 24–72 hours and frequently returns false-negative results, particularly after antibiotics. Waiting for culture forces clinicians to continue broad empirical therapy, driving resistance and toxicity.
Blood culture with automated incubation, biomarkers (procalcitonin, CRP), and single-plex molecular tests are the conventional tools. Each is slower or narrower than the clinical situation demands.
The ID-Sepsis Multiplex panel identifies the causative pathogen class and key resistance markers from a single 2 mL blood sample within approximately 5 hours, enabling earlier targeted therapy while culture proceeds in parallel for confirmation and full susceptibility testing.
Evacuated blood tube · Cap: Lavender / Purple
Additive: K2/K3 EDTA (anticoagulant)
Volume: 3 mL
Invert gently 8–10 times after collection. Do not freeze.
| Characteristic | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Target count | More than 30 sepsis-causing pathogens plus resistance markers | ID Labs Specification |
| Sample volume | Only 2 mL whole blood | ID Labs Specification |
| Turnaround time | Approximately 5 hours | ID Labs Specification |
| Added yield | When combined with blood culture, multiplex testing improved pathogen detection by ~18% in febrile neutropenia settings (as cited in ID Labs source material) | ID Labs Specification |
| Analytical / clinical performance | Performance characteristics: please contact ID Labs — data to be updated. | ID Labs Validated Performance |
Most valuable early in suspected sepsis, in febrile neutropenia (particularly with persistent fever or suspected invasive fungal infection), and when antibiotics were started before cultures were taken. Always draw blood cultures alongside the molecular test.
| Blood culture vs ID-Sepsis Multiplex | ||
|---|---|---|
| Feature | Blood culture | ID-Sepsis Multiplex |
| Time to actionable result | 24–72 hours | ≈ 5 hours |
| Effect of prior antibiotics | Sensitivity falls sharply | Detection retained |
| Viable organism / AST | Yes — enables full phenotypic AST | No — molecular resistance markers only |
| Breadth per test | Whatever grows | >30 pathogens + resistance markers |
Kumar A, Roberts D, Wood KE, et al.
Critical Care Medicine · 2006 · Vol 34 · (6) · pp. 1589–1596
Landmark study showing that each hour of delay in effective antimicrobial therapy after the onset of septic shock is associated with a measurable decrease in survival — the evidence base for rapid diagnostics in sepsis.
The Lancet eClinicalMedicine · 2024
Curated peer-reviewed / authoritative reference. Open the source link for the full text.
PLOS ONE · 2013
Curated peer-reviewed / authoritative reference. Open the source link for the full text.
Rapid molecular investigation of multiple pathogens associated with meningitis and encephalitis from a single CSF sample.
Simultaneous detection of viruses, parasites and bacteria causing acute febrile illness and pyrexia of unknown origin from one sample.
Comprehensive viral and bacterial respiratory pathogen detection from swabs, sputum or BAL in a single multiplex assay.
Broad molecular screening for opportunistic viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens in transplant and immunocompromised patients.
Rapid syndromic testing tailored to febrile and seriously ill children, designed around small sample volumes.
Molecular detection of common sexually transmitted pathogens from a single urogenital specimen.
Panel configuration, specimen logistics and turnaround details on request.
Information on this page is educational and does not replace professional clinical judgment. Performance values are labelled by source (ID Labs Specification / ID Labs Validated Performance / Manufacturer Specification / Published Scientific Evidence). Molecular results must be correlated clinically and, where appropriate, confirmed by culture and phenotypic susceptibility testing.
