For the study, researchers examined blood samples from more than 279 infants with fevers (89 with bacterial infections; 190 without bacterial infections). Researchers also looked at blood samples from 19 infants without fevers.
The team identified 66 genes that served as a biomarker to distinguish between infants with bacterial infections and those without. The method proved accurate 87 percent of the time.
Currently, determining an illness caused by bacteria in infants with fevers can involve complex and time consuming medical procedures like a spinal tap.
“The development of a fast and noninvasive diagnostic tool holds promise for better outcomes and lower treatment costs for young infants with fevers of unknown cause,” said, Valerie Maholmes, PhD, with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health, which provided funding for the study.
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