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A Singapore General Hospital team has developed a faster way to identify the right antibiotics for serious bacterial infections, cutting testing time by up to 50% and enabling faster treatment.
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Doctors often begin treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics while waiting for laboratory results. But traditional antimicrobial susceptibility testing can take up to 24 hours. Singapore General Hospital (SGH) researchers have developed a faster approach that delivers results in under 12 hours.
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Using rapid flow cytometry, the team analyses how bacteria respond to different antibiotics in under an hour. By identifying the most effective treatment earlier and detecting antibiotic-resistant bacteria that conventional methods may miss, the approach enables more precise and informed treatment decisions.
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For patients with severe infections, every hour without the right treatment can affect their chances of survival. By reducing testing time from up to 24 hours to under 12, the new method enables doctors to prescribe targeted antibiotics earlier while supporting efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Serious bacterial infections require rapid, accurate treatment, yet conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing takes up to 24 hours to identify the most effective antibiotic. During this time, patients are typically treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics.
To address this, SGH pharmacists developed a rapid flow cytometry method that analyses how bacteria respond to antibiotics in under an hour. The study showed more than 90% accuracy in identifying antibiotic susceptibility for carbapenem-resistant bacteria while detecting resistant subpopulations that traditional testing may miss.
Beyond reducing testing time, the innovation helps clinicians make more informed choices. The team hopes it will strengthen antimicrobial stewardship, improve outcomes for patients with life-threatening infections and advance infection care.
This article was first published on 5 February 2025.
“Failing to provide appropriate and timely treatments, the mortality of patients is approximately halved every four to five hours.”
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