September 24, 2026- QuidelOrtho Corporation is proud to share episode 61 of its Science Bytes podcast, highlighting key insights about lowering sepsis rates in the emergency room. Sepsis remains a leading cause of death in the U.S. Barriers to diagnosis lead to organ failure and higher mortality rates.
Hosted by Josh Casey, this episode features QuidelOrtho’s Medical Science Liaison Chris Sanchez, MSN, RN, who brings to light diagnostic strategies necessary to support critically ill patients. Chris brings firsthand experience implementing diagnostic strategies as well as caring for critically ill patients.
Key Insights:
- One in five adults and one in ten children who contract sepsis die or go into hospice care
- Delayed diagnosis and overuse of fluid resuscitation methods increase mortality rates
- Inability to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections handicaps clinicians in making the right treatment decisions
- Bacterial infections that go unrecognized may quickly escalate into sepsis
- Swift diagnosis can mitigate these challenges as well as the overuse of antibiotics
- Serial procalcitonin testing aids clinicians in identifying opportunities for antibiotic discontinuation or de-escalation
- Early testing presents opportunities for quick intervention as well as targeted treatment
The conversation illuminates how rapid, actionable diagnostic information can aid emergency medicine physicians in making time-critical decisions in the ER. Listen to the latest episode of the QuidelOrtho Science Bytes podcast here.