A new multicenter study shows Cytovale’s rapid sepsis test IntelliSep can safely increase emergency department (ED) discharges by 56% for low-risk patients.

The test enables faster, more confident triage decisions, easing hospital bed pressures without raising 30-day return visits, according to data presented at ADLM 2025.

Emergency departments (EDs) face growing challenges in managing patient flow, especially with time-critical conditions like sepsis, which require rapid diagnosis and intervention. A recent multicenter study involving 4,650 patients across four hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi has revealed that Cytovale’s IntelliSep rapid host-response test can help alleviate this pressure by safely increasing the discharge rate of low-risk patients.

The IntelliSep test, which provides results within approximately eight minutes from a standard blood draw, stratifies patients’ risk of sepsis at triage. In the study, patients classified as low sepsis risk (IntelliSep Band 1) saw a 56% relative increase in discharge rates from the ED without an increase in 30-day return visits, underscoring patient safety was maintained.

Dr Christopher Thomas, vice president and chief quality officer at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System and critical care physician at LSU Health Sciences Center, said: “Rapid diagnostics like IntelliSep help our team make better treatment decisions. By ruling out sepsis for low-risk patients, we’re reducing avoidable admissions and creating bed capacity for critically ill patients.”

With more than 155 million ED visits annually in the US and about 20% involving potential serious infection, identifying patients with sepsis early is crucial. Overcrowding in EDs leads to increased boarding times and patient dissatisfaction, and cautious admissions for suspected sepsis can worsen these pressures.

IntelliSep’s ability to rapidly assess sepsis risk allows clinicians to discharge low-risk patients with confidence, improving hospital capacity and patient flow while maintaining safety. Bradley Burns, MD, emergency medicine medical director at St. Dominic Hospital and study co-author, added: “We’re not only able to make decisions faster but also treat more confidently, enhancing patient safety and optimising resource use.”

This evidence supports the growing role of rapid host-response diagnostics in emergency care to improve outcomes and system efficiency.