A new technology has been developed in Limoges (Haute-Vienne) to make life easier for caregivers. As explained France 3 New Aquitaineresearchers have developed a tool capable of finding the right treatment for the right patient in just a few hours. Baptized “Damocles”it thus makes it possible to fight against antibiotic resistance.
“Considerable progress”
The principle is very simple: a patient's sample is introduced into the machine, which identifies the bacteria in question and indicates the correct antibiotic to prescribe. “We could give you a diagnosis directly from your urine in less than five hours, which is really considerable progress”says a researcher in analytical chemistry at the University of Limoges.
Currently, it takes 48 hours to identify an antibiotic that is effective on a bacteria. During this time, the patient is treated with a generic antibiotic which is not always suitable. As a result, bacteria eventually create resistance and patients do not recover.
According to scientists, antibiotic resistance could cause 39 million deaths worldwide by 2050.
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