NEWS
Coalition makes case for community diagnostics
The British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA) – along with leading industry and health charities – has launched a new policy declaration that highlights the value of community diagnostics and their role in a future neighbourhood NHS. A cross-sector coalition of health and diagnostics organisations are calling for urgent action to be taken through the government’s 10 Year Plan to ensure the NHS can provide the right care, in the right place all year round, and address the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Led by BIVDA and Steve Race MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pharmacy, the consensus initiative highlights the potential opportunities to use point of care, rapid diagnostic technology to create a truly ‘neighbourhood NHS’. Community diagnostics could be a cornerstone the NHS – to be used in settings such as GP practices, pharmacies, care homes, urgent treatment centres, and even in mobile facilities in the community
– bringing care directly to the patient, into neighbourhoods and out of hospital. Launching in Parliament, the consensus policy declaration sets out the steps the government can take to embed community diagnostics within a neighbourhood NHS that is fit for the future. Pictured above is Danny Chambers, Liberal Denmocrat MP for Winchester and Chair of the All-Pary Parliamentry Group for AMR, with BIVDA’s Helen Dent.
The full document can be read at the BIVDA website:
www.bivda.org.uk.
New Sepsis biomarker discovered
A pioneering study presented at ESCMID Global 2025 has uncovered the potential of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a powerful diagnostic biomarker for the early detection of sepsis in high-risk patient groups, including neonates, children and pregnant women. This study is the first to evaluate IL-6’s diagnostic performance in a real-world cohort across all three populations. Sepsis remains a leading global cause of mortality, accounting for an estimated 11 million deaths annually. Young children, especially those under five, and pregnant women are highly vulnerable due to immunological changes and increased susceptibility. Diagnosing sepsis during pregnancy is especially challenging, as physiological changes can obscure its early signs. Prompt diagnosis is critical, yet challenging, due to the non-specific symptoms of sepsis and the limitations of traditional biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT). The retrospective cohort study analysed serial blood samples from 252 patients (111 paediatric, 72 maternity, and 69 neonatal cases) with suspected sepsis. Patients were classified by infection type (bacterial, viral, or no infection) and physiological response (normal, systemic inflammatory response
syndrome, sepsis and septic shock). Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated through AUROC analysis (ranging from 1.0, a perfect test with 100% specificity and sensitivity, to 0.5, a completely ineffective test). IL-6 consistently outperformed traditional biomarkers in distinguishing bacterial from non-bacterial infections, with AUROC values of 0.91 in children, 0.94 in maternal patients, and 0.86 in neonates. IL-6 also effectively stratified sepsis severity, distinguishing between mild infection, sepsis, and septic shock, a critical capability for guiding timely and appropriate treatment. In terms of sensitivity and specificity, IL-6 exceeded 80% in both paediatric and maternal patients, detecting bacterial infections with 91% sensitivity in children and 94% in pregnant women. In neonates, while IL-6 maintained high specificity (97.1%), its sensitivity (67.6%) was lower. These lower sensitivity and AUROC values may be partly attributable to the complexities of diagnosing neonatal sepsis, where there is no clear consensus definition. n Whelan SO, et al (2025). Interleukin-6 as a diagnostic biomarker for sepsis in neonates, children and pregnant women – a real-world cohort study. ESCMID Global 2025, Vienna, Austria.
WWW.PATHOLOGYINPRACTICE.COM MAY 2025 9
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