DIAGNO-VAP
Scheda del progetto
Prof. Marcello Manfredi
Dr. Teresa Esposito
Dr. Simona Fenizia
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common infection in intensive care units, challenging to diagnose quickly and accurately. Diagnosing VAP often takes time, leading to the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and the risk of overtreatment, which increases the likelihood of antibiotic resistance.
The DIAGNO-VAP project aims to develop a rapid and minimally invasive diagnostic test for identifying bacterial infections in intensive care units through the analysis of exhaled breath condensate (EBC). This method, already tested on intubated and non-intubated patients, aims to identify pathogen biomarkers in EBC to create a diagnostic kit. The kit will use specific antibodies and will be supported by a digital platform for analyzing and interpreting results, enabling more timely diagnoses and treatments while reducing antibiotic resistance. The team includes researchers and doctors specializing in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and intensive care.
Contact:
Contact person
Elettra Barberis
Email
elettra.barberis@uniupo.it
Tel
+39 3393752351
The main challenge of the project is to improve the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in intensive care patients. Currently, these patients, especially those with comorbidities, the elderly, or those who are frail, are highly vulnerable to VAP, which typically manifests within 48-72 hours after the start of invasive ventilation and has a mortality rate of 15-20%. Approximately 10% of ventilated patients develop VAP, extending their hospital stay.
Il kit diagnostico sarà sviluppato su piattaforma point of care attraverso l'utilizzo di anticorpi contro le proteine marcatrici selezionate e sarà accompagnato da una piattaforma digitale per l'interpretazione, analisi e raccolta dei risultati. Il kit permetterà una diagnosi più rapida e il monitoraggio non invasivo delle infezioni, l'avvio di una terapia più mirata e la riduzione delle antibiotico-resistenze, permettendo lo sviluppo di politiche di medicina di precisione.
The diagnostic kit will be developed on a point-of-care platform using antibodies against selected marker proteins and will be accompanied by a digital platform for interpretation, analysis, and collection of results. The kit will enable faster diagnosis and non-invasive monitoring of infections, initiation of more targeted therapy, and reduction of antibiotic resistance, facilitating the development of precision medicine policies.