AdvanDx develops and markets molecular-based, in vitro diagnostic tests that aid in the diagnosis and prevention of infectious diseases. The rapid test results are available within minutes instead of days and allow healthcare providers to make more informed therapy decisions early and improve both the quality and outcome of patient care.

Bloodstream infections cause significant morbidity and mortality and are among the most common healthcare-associated infections. Every year, 350,000 patients acquire bloodstream infections while in the hospital in the US, resulting in more than 90,000 deaths (25%) and significant costs to the healthcare system. At the first sign of infection, such as a positive blood culture with Gram-positive cocci in clusters (GPCC), physicians often treat empirically with broad-spectrum antibiotics to cover for the risk of resistant pathogens, especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Rapid results from the microbiology lab are therefore critical to support appropriate therapy.

QuickFISH tests

Employing PNA Probe Technology, QuickFISH tests are FAST and EASY with highly specific targeting of pathogen rRNA. With a 20 minute turn-around time and 5 minutes of hands-on time, they provide rapid and accurate identification of bacteria and yeast 1-3 days earlier than conventional identification methods. Results can be reported at the same time labs make the critical Gram Stain call. Conventional methods employ sub culturing, overnight incubation and phenotypic identification that can take days and lead to empiric therapy coverage with broad-spectrum antibiotics until results become available. With QuickFISH, results are available in just 20 minutes from the positive blood culture, enabling clinicians to optimize antibiotic therapy sooner. The proprietary platform of QuickFISH tests helps hospitals reduce time to appropriate therapy, avoid unnecessary antibiotic use, improve patient outcomes and lower hospital costs.

Click here for an overview of the QuickFISH™ platform.

QuickFISH used in conjunction with MALDI-TOF

In many clinical diagnostics labs, the MALDI-TOF system is routinely used for identification of pathogens; however, several studies have demonstrated that MALDI-TOF may not provide a definitive result in some situations. Since the QuickFISH™ system is often able to rapidly identify the organisms on these occasions, QuickFISH™ offers an additional and complementary technology to verify ambiguous data from the MALDI-TOF system. QuickFISH™ has the advantages of requiring no expensive equipment, minimal sample preparation and an extremely quick turn-around time for reliable results.

AdvanDX offers the following QuickFISH kits:

• Staphylococcus QuickFISH™ : For GPCC-positive blood culture, this kit provides 20 minute identification and differentiation of S. aureus and CoNS.
• Enterococcus QuickFISH™: For GPCPC-positive blood cultures, this kit provides 20 minute identification and differentiation of E. faecalis, E. faecium or other Enterococci.
• Gram-Negative QuickFISH™: For GNR-positive blood cultures, this kit provides 20 minute identification and differentiation P. aeruginosa and other Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli or K. pneumonia.
• Candida QuickFISH: For blood cultures testing positive for yeast, this kit provides 20 minute identification and differentiation of Candida albicans, C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis.