A new point-of-care diagnostic test for peritonitis has shown promising results in a pilot study. The Periplex test developed by the Cardiff University in collaboration with the rapid diagnostics company, Mologic has been used for the first time in patients.
The test is designed to diagnose or rule out peritonitis, a common complication in patients with kidney failure undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). It works by rapidly detecting increased levels of infection markers in dialysis effluent.
An independent study funded by the National Institute of Health Research trialled the rapid test in more than 100 individuals at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
The findings published in the journal Kidney International showed that the test was able to correctly provide a positive diagnosis of peritonitis in 84% of all individuals tested. Furthermore, the test was positive in >97% of individuals who truly had peritonitis. This means a negative test can almost completely rule out a diagnosis of peritonitis.
Professor Matthias Eberl, from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, said: "Our test will provide peace of mind for patients who are worried about peritonitis and will hopefully increase the acceptance of PD as a treatment choice. Once available, it will also mean fewer unnecessary trips to hospital for patients - which is absolutely key during a global virus pandemic."