Early Diagnosis of Sepsis: bioMérieux presents new Sepsis Handbook at International Sepsis Forum

The Sepsis Handbook provides an up-to-date overview on the impact of sepsis to public health (epidemiology), its pathophysiology (host response pathways) and early diagnosis. Critical for improved survival, early diagnosis is the prime focus of this book, which includes a comprehensive discussion on the detection of the bacterial pathogen, accounting for the majority of sepsis cases. Biomarkers of the host response are also discussed as these may provide further insight into the stage and severity of sepsis. The various topics are written by 20 recognized international experts in the field.

“Putting patients first is at the center of bioMérieux’s concerns. In the fight against sepsis, our company must lead the way as a partner to healthcare professionals around the world. This is why, with contributions from key experts across the globe, we have put together a book to update knowledge on sepsis. I sincerely hope that the information in this book will contribute to improving patient health”, states Stéphane Bancel, bioMérieux’s Chief Executive Officer.

The “Sepsis Handbook” demonstrates bioMérieux’s commitment in the field of sepsis. As one of the world’s leading diagnostic companies, bioMérieux has developed a broad product offer for sepsis covering diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic response monitoring. This offer includes BacT/ALERT® for blood culture, VITEK® 2 for automated identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing, VIDAS® B.R.A.H.M.S PCT for early detection and monitoring of severe bacterial infections, and in the future, GeneXpert® for rapid identification.

The “Sepsis Handbook” is part of a collection of educational publications on major healthcare themes, written by leading specialists and produced by bioMérieux Editions. Consult the bioMérieux website - www.biomerieux.com/publications- for further information.

Sepsis

Sepsis is a complex clinical syndrome that is defined as the systemic inflammatory response of the body to an infection. It is the most common underlying cause of mortality in non-coronary ICU’s. Mortality can be as high as 50% in case of septic shock, the most severe form. Every year, severe sepsis strikes an estimated 750,000 people in the United States . The incidence of severe sepsis is expected to rise to 1 million by the end of the decade as the population ages. Early recognition of sepsis and timely initiation of appropriate therapy is key for survival from this potentially devastating condition.

About bioMérieux

Advancing Diagnostics to Improve Public Health
A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for over 40 years, bioMérieux is present in more than 150 countries through 35 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors. In 2006, revenues reached €1.037 billion with 83% of sales outside of France.

bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (reagents, instruments, software) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Our products are used for diagnosing infectious diseases and providing high medical value results for cardiovascular emergencies and cancer screening and monitoring. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.
bioMérieux is listed on Eurolist by Euronext.
Other information can be found at http://www.biomerieux.com/.