Evaluation of T2 Magnetic Resonance (T2MR®) Technology for the Early Detection of ESKAPEc Pathogens in Septic Patients

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) and sepsis are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Appropriate early antibiotic therapy is crucial for improving the survival of patients with sepsis and septic shock. T2 magnetic resonance (T2MR (R)) technology may enable fast and sensitive detection of ESKAPEc pathogens directly from whole-blood samples. We aimed to evaluate concordance between the T2Bacteria (R) Panel and standard blood culture and its impact on antibiotic therapy decisions. We conducted a single-centre retrospective study on patients with sepsis-induced hypotension or septic shock admitted to general, post-operative/neurosurgical, and cardiothoracic Intensive Care Units who were tested with the T2Bacteria (R) Panel from January 2021 to December 2022. Eighty-five consecutively admitted patients were included, for a total of 85 paired tests. A total of 48 ESKAPEc pathogens were identified by the T2Bacteria (R) Panel. The concordance rate between the T2Bacteria (R) Panel and blood cultures was 81% (69/85), with 20 concordant-positive and 49 concordant-negative cases. For the 25 microorganisms grown from accompanying blood cultures, blood pathogen coverage by the T2Bacteria (R) Panel was 88%. In this cohort of severely ill septic patients, the T2Bacteria (R) Panel was highly concordant and was able to detect more ESKAPEc pathogens, with a significantly shorter turn-around time compared to conventional blood cultures. The T2Bacteria (R) Panel also significantly impacted decisions on antibiotic therapy.