Fast Track Diagnostic Requisite for Sepsis and its Antimicrobial Resistance in Low Resource Settings: A Step Towards Antimicrobial Stewardship

Sepsis due to multidrug resistant bacteria (MDR) is a growing challenge. WHO developed the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance and adopted a resolution for improving the prevention, diagnosis and clinical management of the sepsis. At an early stage, sepsis frequently remains under-diagnosed when it is potentially reversible. Laboratories in low resource settings often face the issue of poor infrastructure, irregular supply of reagents, maintenance and new investment costs. Currently, molecular diagnostics have met the criteria of rapidity, ease of use, cost, automation and can be used for point-of-care (POC) testing. However, there scarcity of POC diagnostics in the resource limited settings. The present review describes real time polymerasebased tests and commercially available systems for their capability for bacterial and resistance profile detection. We highlight the need for innovative, small and cost-effective POC devices for clinical utility. It will help to plan more effective antibiotic treatments and quality of health care services in developing countries.