Sepsis is a critical condition and one of the leading causes of death in hospitals. Millions of adults are diagnosed with sepsis each year, and it is also a primary reason for hospital readmissions. Hospital staff are urged to start treatment for life-threatening sepsis within one hour of diagnosis, often referred to as the 'golden hour.' Now, an ultra-rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) system can support the timely and effective management of sepsis, enabling clinicians to make faster decisions regarding antibiotic treatments.

The QuickMIC ultra-rapid AST system, developed by Gradientech AB (Uppsala, Sweden), is designed to provide critical results for sepsis patients. This instrument can analyze a single positive blood culture sample per run, delivering precise minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values within 2–4 hours directly from positive blood cultures. The system employs unique technology based on a continuous linear antibiotic gradient, offering greater resolution, precision, and accuracy compared to methods that rely on discrete antibiotic concentrations. Microcolonies of bacteria exposed to this gradient are monitored in real-time using live imaging. The QuickMIC Analyst software then examines the growth patterns along the antibiotic gradient to determine accurate MIC values.

QuickMIC cassettes test each blood culture sample against a panel of multiple antibiotics, with each pre-filled cassette containing twelve antibiotics specifically designed for common sepsis-causing bacteria. The gram-negative antibiotic panel targets pathogens such as E. coli, Klebsiella spp., P. aeruginosa, E. cloacae, A. baumannii, Proteus spp., Citrobacter spp., and S. marcescens. Laboratories can use QuickMIC in conjunction with their preferred rapid identification methods to provide quicker results to clinical teams. Up to twelve QuickMIC instruments can be stacked together, allowing labs to increase testing capacity while saving valuable bench space. QuickMIC and its gram-negative panel are CE-marked and commercially available in Europe, although they are not yet available for sale in the United States. 

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