New meningitis detection research
18 August 2010
Professor Mike Shields and his team at Queen’s University and the Belfast Health & Social Care Trust issued a news release yesterday about a new test they are developing for meningitis and septicaemia which Meningitis Research Foundation funded.
Initial trials of the rapid diagnostic test for meningococcal bacteria have begun at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. The research team has already won an Elevations Diagnostics Idea of the Year Award award for developing this diagnostic tool and we hope these trials prove promising.
Doctors currently rely on clinical diagnosis to recognise and treat meningitis and septicaemia. As we know from our members and supporters, any delay in recognition can leave devastating after effects or result in death. A rapid diagnostic test suitable for A&E units could revolutionise the detection and treatment of this deadly disease and save many lives.
As Professor Mike Shields Explains: “The first symptoms of meningococcal infections are the same as a simple viral infection, making it difficult to diagnose in the early stages. Parents often use the ‘tumbler test’ on their children’s body, but the non-blanching rash that is associated with a positive outcome of this test is a late sign and is not always present in children who have meningitis.”
“With the development of a small piece of equipment, which resembles a portable home printer, a sample of blood or a secretion such as saliva can be tested quickly by the machine. This produces a colour reading that determines if the patient has meningitis or not.”
Read more about the research
Learn more about the symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia