Emma Hayhurst, Llusern Scientific
Jeroen Nieuwland, Llusern Scientific
Alison King, CTMUHB Pathology
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Background:
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections globally. 90% of UTI patients are women, and the risk of suffering from a UTI increases with age. Even acute uncomplicated UTIs can be painful and debilitating and UTIs can have severe long-term consequences, including sepsis. Despite this, no good diagnostic tools exist which are suitable for point-of-care, meaning over and under diagnosis is common. UTI treatments account for 10-20% of community antibiotic prescriptions but many of these antibiotics are given out unnecessarily, fueling the spread of antibiotic resistance. UTIs-related appointments are a considerable burden in primary care and re-consultations are common.
Aims:
- To improve diagnosis and treatment of UTIs
- To validate the performance of the new point of care UTI test
- To evaluate the potential clinical impact of the use of the test in primary care
- Determine a pathway for wider adoption of the test
Method:
- Clinical performance evaluation against traditional method (500 samples)
- User focus groups and demonstrations with GPs
- Engage with commercial partners and determine route to market
Outcomes/ Benefits
- Good clinical sensitivity and specificity
- Better at detecting true infections in mixed growth samples
- May work as a rule out test to improve antibiotic stewardship
- Could have impact in primary, community, secondary care and emergency settings, leading to reduced service demand, reduced cost, better patient outcomes
- Significant patient benefits anticipated
What Next
- UK CA marking
- Real world evaluations
- Comparison with dipsticks
- Engagement with policy makers
- Commercial pathway mapped out
- Setting up production lab in Cardiff
- Independent NIHR performance evaluation
