A suite of laboratory analyses of D-lactate as an early marker of infection

Project team
Prof Andrej Trampuz
Prof Jeffrey Lipman
Dr Judith Bellapart
Dr Jason Brown
Ms Janine Stuart
Ms Melissa Lassig-Smith
Ms Amelia Livermore
Mr Dale Trevor
A/Prof Silvia Manzanero
Dr Jacobus Ungerer
Dr Carel Pretorius
Mr Matthew Burke
Dr Anthony Holley
Dr Michael Colditz

This study will evaluate the usefulness of the D-lactate test in patients with an external ventricular drain (EVD) or with burns.

Inflammation of the body is common in patients with bacterial and viral infections, but it is also common in patients without infection, like patients with an EVD or with burns, because of the human body’s response to many insults. Treatment of inflammation is different depending on the cause, but the cause is difficult to distinguish, and patients can receive unnecessary and sometimes potentially harmful treatments e.g., unnecessary use of antibiotics in patients without bacterial infection.

We need a test to distinguish the cause of inflammation that is fast, accurate and convenient. Unfortunately, the perfect test has not yet been found. We have a very promising candidate called D-lactate test. Our body does not make D-lactate, but bacteria do, so if there is D-lactate in our body, it means that there is an infection. The D-lactate test is faster than current ones, and it has shown to be useful in patients with joint infections. This study will evaluate if the D-lactate test is useful in patients with conditions where fast recognition of infection is essential for treatment.

This study is conducted in collaboration with RBWH Intensive Care, RBWH Burns Unit and Pathology Queensland.