Towards improved point-of-care (POC) testing for patients with suspected sepsis: POC tests for host biomarkers and possible microbial pathogens.

The rising benefits of the combined use of POC biomarkers with molecular diagnostics in daily clinical routine appear to outperform conventional practices in terms of reduced turnaround time, timely diagnosis, and prompt administration of the appropriate treatment. Yet, this must be further demonstrated in future investigations. However, the cost-effectiveness of POC tests and the high rate of false positive and negative results, indicate the need for a comprehensive clinical evaluation.