Latest News

September 2019

Sepsis

Thermo Fisher Scientific Supports Sepsis Awareness Month in September

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, announces its support of Sepsis Awareness Month to drive awareness around sepsis, a complex clinical syndrome and a leading cause of death globally.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Supports Sepsis Awareness Month in September >

August 2019

Antimicrobial Stewardship

PCT leads the way in antimicrobial stewardship

Antibiotic treatment of sepsis patients often has to rely on clinical observation and educated guesswork as clinicians wait for a culture to determine whether the infection is bacterial, viral, or possibly fungal.

Read the news article here >

July 2019

Patent

Validity of B·R·A·H·M·S’ patent confirmed by German Federal Patent Court

Again, B·R·A·H·M·S GmbH (B·R·A·H·M·S) has successfully defended one of its many patents relating to Procalcitonin (PCT) in diagnostics and therapy around sepsis and infectious diseases.

Read the news on thermoscientific.com/brahms >

July 2019

In Vitro Diagnostics

PCT included in Second WHO Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics

Procalcitonin – to guide antibiotic therapy/discontinuation in sepsis and lower respiratory tract infection

Second WHO Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics >

July 2019

Antibiotic Resistance

Rapid Diagnostic Testing Helps Rule Out Bacterial Infections, Decreasing Antibiotic Use

A pharmacist-led protocol using rapid diagnostic testing to rule out methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pulmonary infections at an Ohio hospital last year led to 80% of patients being de-escalated on vancomycin within 24 hours of receiving negative test results.

Read the news article here >

May 2019

Health Economics

U.S. Health Economic Analysis Demonstrates the Cost Reduction Impact of using B·R·A·H·M·S PCT to Support Antibiotic Stewardship Versus Standard of Care

Outcome shows a reduction in antibiotic days, shorter length of stay, shorter duration of mechanical ventilation, and fewer patients at risk for antibiotic resistance or C.difficile infection lead to incremental reduction of costs of 26 percent in sepsis and 17.7 percent in lower respiratory tract infection

Read the press release here >

February 2019

Sepsis

2019 Sepsis Survivor Week, February 10th-16th

Up to 60% of sepsis survivors are left not only with physical challenges but mental and emotional challenges too.

Download Life After Sepsis video and infographics >

Learn more and find resources for sepsis survivors >

News Archive

2018

November 6, 2018

33000 people die every year due to infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Read full news on ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) website >
Find out more on B·R·A·H·M·S PCT in Antibiotic Stewardship >

October 2, 2018

Thermo Fisher Scientific Announces Sixth Licensing Agreement for B·R·A·H·M·S PCT

Siemens Healthineers Recent FDA Clearance of the Atellica IM B·R·A·H·M·S PCT Assay Extends Access of Procalcitonin to More U.S. Laboratories

Thermo Fisher Scientific announces sixth licensing agreement for B·R·A·H·M·S PCT >

September 2018

Recent publication: Procalcitonin guided antibiotic therapy in intensive care unit patients

Effect of procalcitonin-guided antibiotic treatment on clinical outcomes in intensive care unit patients with infection and sepsis patients: a patient-level meta-analysis of randomized trials

This meta-analysis based on more than 4000 individual ICU patient data confirms that B·R·A·H·M·S PCT guided antibiotic stewardship enables shortening of antibiotic therapy duration and reduction of mortality of septic patients, independently if old sepsis criteria or new sepsis3 criteria were used.

Read the publication here

July 17, 2018

New Thermo Scientific B·R·A·H·M·S PCT direct blood test allows fast bacterial infection and sepsis diagnosis at patient’s point of care

The new B·R·A·H·M·S PCT direct point of care assay requires just one drop of blood for a reliable infection diagnosis and clinical decisions in the acute care setting within 20 minutes.

New Thermo Scientific B·R·A·H·M·S PCT direct blood test allows fast bacterial infection and sepsis diagnosis at patient’s point of care >

July 13, 2018

Roche PCT assay cleared for expanded use - Important tool in antibiotic resistance crisis

Elecsys® B·R·A·H·M·S PCT™ (procalcitonin) helps clinicians assess presence and severity of certain bacterial infections and patient response to antibiotics

Roche PCT assay cleared for expanded use - Important tool in antibiotic resistance crisis >

April 2018

Too many antibiotics can give preemies a lifetime of ill health

Read the full Science Article here >
Learn more on Procalcitonin (PCT) for diagnosis and safe antibiotic guidance in neonatal sepsis >

January 2018

World Health Organization (WHO) surveillance report - High levels of antibiotic resistance found worldwide

WHO’s new Global Antimicrobial Surveillance System (GLASS) reveals widespread occurrence of antibiotic resistance among 500 000 people with suspected bacterial infections across 22 countries. A first release of surveillance data on antibiotic resistance reveals high levels of resistance to a number of serious bacterial infections in both high- and low-income countries.

Read the WHO News Release here >
Find out more on B·R·A·H·M·S PCT in Antibiotic Stewardship >

January 2018

Blood test reduces mortality and shortens antibiotic use among adults with chest infection

The National Institute on Health Research (NIHR), UK reports on the findings of a review that shows the growing body of evidence indicating that procalcitonin may help refine the use of antibiotics in select patient groups.

Read the full article on NIHR here >
Find out more on B·R·A·H·M·S PCT in Antibiotic Stewardship >

January 2018

Available now: Language versions of "Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2016 "

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) have made the 2016 Guidelines available now in Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.

Find the language versions of the SSC Guidelines here >
Find out more on B·R·A·H·M·S PCT for early detection of sepsis >

2017

December 2017

Practical Patient Care - Issue 20 / 2017

Procalcitonin for neonatal sepsis diagnosis and safe antibiotic guidance

Neonatal infections remain a challenge for today's physicians, as early signs and symptoms are often protean and non-specific. B·R·A·H·M·S PCT can help to detect neonatal sepsis and assist in safe antibiotic guidance.

Read the full article on Practical Patient Care >
Find out more on B·R·A·H·M·S PCT in Neonatal sepsis >

November 2017

Kampala Declaration - African Sepsis Alliance

The African Sepsis Alliance (ASA) works to reduce the impact of sepsis (mortality and suffering) by initiating large scale improvements in sepsis awareness, education, care, research and funding throughout Africa.
In cooperation with the African Federation of Critical Care Nurses, Global Sepsis Alliance and World Federation of Critical Care Nurses the ASA put together the Kampala Declaration to improve care for sepsis and severely ill patients in Africa.

Read the Kampala Declaration >
Find out about the African Sepsis Alliance >
Sign the Kampala Declaration on change.org >

November 2017

10^th European Antibiotic Awareness Day

15 November 2017 marks the 10th European Antibiotic Awareness Day, an EU-level initiative to raise awareness about the threat to public health of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the importance of using antibiotics prudently.

More on European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2017 >
Do watch the video of the live web-conference "Keeping Antibiotics Working" on YouTube >
Read more on antibiotic stewardship >

November 2017

NeoPInS - The largest intervention study in neonates for shortening of antibiotic therapy

The recently published multicentric, multinational randomized controlled NeoPIns study shows a 15% reduced duration of antibiotic therapy guided by Procalcitonin (55 hrs vs. 65 hrs) and a shorter hospital stay in a large cohort of neonates with suspected early-onset sepsis. With 1710 neonates, NeoPIns is the largest randomized intervention study till date for shortening of antibiotic treatment in neonates.

Read it on The Lancet >
Find out more on B·R·A·H·M·S PCT in Neonatal sepsis >

November 2017

World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW) 2017

This year's WAAW-theme: Seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional before taking antibiotics. Antibiotics are a precious resource, so it is important to get the right advice before taking them. Responsible use of antibiotics will also help reduce the threat of antibiotic resistance.

Find out more on WAAW 2017 >
Read more on antibiotic stewardship >

August/September 2017

Sepsis Media Award 2017 of the German Sepsis Society

Every year, outstanding works of medical journalism to increase knowledge and awareness about sepsis in German-speaking countries receive recognition by the German Sepsis Society (DSG).

The 2017 Sepsis Media Award will be announced during the opening meeting of the "Sepsis Update" in Weimar on Sep 6, 2017.

Sponsor of the Sepsis Media Award is Thermo Fisher Scientifc.

June 2017

Recognizing Sepsis as a Global Health Priority - A WHO Resolution

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the priority on improving prevention, diagnosis and management of sepsis globaly. Millions of lives can be saved if politicians, policymakers, health care administrators, researchers, and clinicians take coordinated efforts.

May 2017

Time to Treatment and Mortality during Mandated Emergency Care for Sepsis

In 2013, New York began requiring hospitals to follow protocols for the early identification and treatment of sepsis. However, there is controversy about whether more rapid treatment of sepsis improves outcomes in patients.

Time to Treatment and Mortality during Mandated Emergency Care for Sepsis ›

April 20, 2017

Multi-Center Clinical Study Confirms Decreased Levels of Procalcitonin as an Independent Predictor of Mortality in Patients with Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock

Results from Procalcitonin MOnitoring SEpsis Study published in May 2017 issue of Critical Care Medicine

Multi-Center Clinical Study Confirms Decreased Levels of Procalcitonin as an Independent Predictor of Mortality in Patients with Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock ›

February 2017

FDA clears test to help manage antibiotic treatment for lower respiratory tract infections and sepsis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared the expanded use of the Vidas Brahms PCT Assay...

Biomarkers guide safe antibiotic decisions

Overuse of antibiotics is a global problem, but the biomarker Procalcitonin (PCT), such as the B·R·A·H·M·S PCT assay from Thermo Fisher Scientific, can help guide antibiotic stewardship and reduce resistance to the effects of these drugs.

Read article in Practical Patient Care ›

September 26, 2016

Thermo Fisher Scientific Joins Sepsis Alliance in Support of Sepsis Awareness Month

Sepsis Awareness Month aims to provide education around a deadly condition that is claiming millions of lives globally every year.
Thermo Fisher Scientific has joined the Sepsis Alliance and advocates to spread the word about sepsis and the risk factors associated with the condition.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Joins Sepsis Alliance in Support of Sepsis Awareness Month ›

July 7, 2016

Innovative trial design helps accelerate FDA clearance process for B·R·A·H·M·S PCT license partners

An innovative trial design helped our license partners, Roche Diagnostics USA and bioMérieux, achieve FDA clearance in just 90 days for the Roche ELECSYS B·R·A·H·M·S PCT and bioMérieux VIDAS B·R·A·H·M·S PCT assays. The Procalcitonin MOnitoring SEpsis Study (MOSES) included 858 adult patients with sepsis recruited across 13 investigational sites in the U.S.

B·R·A·H·M·S PCT license partners achieve FDA clearance in 90 days ›

www.mddionline.com > A Diagnostic Trial Designed to Speed Clearance ›

June 23, 2016

Roche receives FDA clearance for Elecsys B·R·A·H·M·S PCT

Roche announced that it has received 510(k) clearance for its Elecsys B·R·A·H·M·S PCT (Procalcitonin) assay as a dedicated testing solution for people with severe sepsis or septic shock.

www.prnewswire.com > Roche receives FDA clearance for its Procalcitonin (PCT) assay to help clinicians effectively assess sepsis risk and manage sepsis patients ›

March 1, 2016

Expanded FDA clearance for B·R·A·H·M·S PCT sepsis biomarker

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that expands the clinical claims of the Thermo Scientific B·R·A·H·M·S PCT (Procalcitonin) biomarker assay for sepsis risk assessment. Clinicians can now use B·R·A·H·M·S PCT to help assess the response of septic patients to treatment by comparing a baseline PCT measurement with a PCT value taken on day four.

B·R·A·H·M·S PCT cleared for assessing mortality risk of septic patients ›