Electrochemical point-of-care devices for the diagnosis of sepsis

Sepsis is a life-threatening dysfunction of organ systems caused by a dysregulated immune system because of an infectious process. It remains one of the leading causes of hospital mortality and of hospital readmissions in the United States. Mortality from sepsis increases with each hour of delayed treatment, therefore, diagnostic devices that can reduce the time from the onset of a patient's infection to the delivery of appropriate therapy are urgently needed. Likewise, tools that are capable of high-frequency testing of clinically relevant biomarkers are required to study disease progression. Electrochemical biosensors offer important advantages such as high sensitivity, fast response, miniaturization, and low cost that can be adapted to clinical needs. In this review paper, we discuss the current state, limitations, and future directions of electrochemical-based point-of-care detection platforms that contribute to the diagnosis and monitoring of sepsis.

Automated summary

Sepsis is a life-threatening disease caused by a dysregulated immune system during an infectious process. It is a major cause of hospital mortality and readmissions in the United States. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for reducing mortality, and electrochemical-based point-of-care detection platforms offer potential solutions due to their high sensitivity, fast response, miniaturization capabilities, and low cost. In this review, we discuss the current state, limitations, and future directions of these platforms for sepsis diagnosis and monitoring.