Fighting Antibiotic resistance with point of care breath analysis

由于抗生素的过度处方，在它们不能帮助人们变得更好的情况下，一些细菌已经对它们产生了抗药性。为了减缓这种耐药性，医生需要在抗生素无效的情况下少开抗生素。一种方法是通过开发一种测试来检测患者是否有细菌感染。这种测试应该是快速、便宜和简单的，在GP手术和医院中都可以进行，并且对患者没有不便，并且优选地是非侵入性的。仅仅是能够识别患者是否患有细菌、病毒或真菌感染就可以大大减少药物的使用--关键是要让临床医生或全科医生有信心不开药。IMdac Diagnostics Ltd将进一步开发他们的Breathspec（r）设备，该设备已经在呼吸道感染患者身上成功试用。为了使Breathspec（r）设备符合医疗设备法规，需要进行开发。由于这是一个复杂的过程，IMdac将得到来自沃里克大学的领先研究科学家、专业设计工程师和NHS的帮助。创建一个具有成本效益，快速和易于使用的测试，以确定患者是否有细菌或病毒性胸部感染。IMdac诊断有限公司将推出一个诊断工具，可以帮助抗生素管理和排除不适当的抗生素使用。这将使患者和医生在决定是否开抗生素时有信心。这个概念是如此的创新，以至于目前还没有其他公司积极开发使用呼吸分析的AMR测试。这意味着IMdac Diagnostics有机会率先推出此类测试。

Due to the over prescription of antibiotics in cases where they do not help people get better, some bacteria have become resistant to them. To slow down this resistance, doctors need to prescribe less antibiotics in cases where they will not help. One way to do this is by developing a test to detect if a patient has a bacterial infection or not. This test should be quick, cheap and simple to undertake both at a GP surgery and in hospital and with no inconvenience a patient and preferably non-invasive.There is a need for a point-of-care (POC) diagnostics device to assist clinical decision making in the administration of antibiotics. Simply being able to identify if a patient is suffering from a bacterial, viral or fungal infection could produce a significant reduction in drug administration -- the key is to provide the clinician or GP the confidence NOT to prescribe a drugIMSPEX Diagnostics Ltd will further develop their Breathspec(r) device, which has already been successfully trialled on patients with respiratory tract infections. The developments are needed to make the Breathspec(r) device compliant with legislation for medical devices. As this is a complicated process, IMSPEX will have help from leading research scientists from Warwick University, specialist design engineers and the NHS. Creating a cost-effective, quick and easy-to-use test for deciding if patient have a bacterial or viral chest infection.IMSPEX Diagnostics Ltd will bring to market a diagnostic tool that can assist in antibiotic stewardship and rule out inappropriate antibiotic use. This will give both patients and doctors confidence in the decision to prescribe antibiotics or not. This concept is so innovative that there is currently no other company actively developing an AMR test that uses breath analysis. This means that there is an opportunity for IMSPEX Diagnostics to be first to market with such as test.