The dissertation describes two new and reliable tests that can identify the pathogen and determine its sensitivity to antibiotics sixteen hours sooner. 'If we suspect that a patient may have a bloodstream infection, we always administer antibiotics right away,' says Beuving. 'These are often broad-spectrum antibiotics used for the most common pathogens. Unfortunately, this isn't always the right antibiotic for the bacteria in question, particularly in our age of increased resistance to antibiotics. The rapid test can help us administer the right antibiotic sixteen hours sooner. If we can determine which pathogen is causing the infection at an earlier stage, we can avoid prescribing overly broad or unnecessary antibiotics and thereby also reduce the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In order to create an effective antibiotics policy, it's important to develop rapid tests and raise awareness for the implementation of these tests in clinical practice.'

The first test involved modifying an existing test to generate faster results. While this adaptation had been described earlier, it had not been extensively tested. A second test was developed to further accelerate the results. The underlying principle had been described previously, but the test could not yet be administered to patients with bloodstream infections. The test was adapted in such a way that it could be used for virtually all blood cultures, with results available sixteen hours sooner than other tests.

Bloodstream infections cause more deaths than any other infectious disease, which is why it's important to start antibiotic therapy as soon as possible. Antibiotics are often prescribed before the pathogen is known. The current techniques take at least forty-eight hours to determine whether the right antibiotic has been administered.