A study, conducted by the Translational Genomics Research Institute, examined a new screening tool's efficacy and safety for healthcare-acquired infections. The tool, known as KlebSeq, can detect HAI strains, specifically Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology will publish the findings in October.
KlebSeq employs a technique, amplicon sequencing, which identifies the presence of Klebsiella and its characteristics. Users can modify the tool to detect other HAI agents and identify the antimicrobial-resistant agents. The tool may be especially useful for high-risk patients as it aims to enable providers to identify the type of infections in patients and make more informed decisions.
"KlebSeq is able to accurately and consistently identify and characterize Klebsiella from many different types of specimen samples, including blood, urine, nasal swabs, and respiratory fluids," said Jolene Bowers, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in TGen's Pathogen Genomics Division at TGen North, and the paper's first author.
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