NEW DELHI: The Indian Council of Medical Research is taking a major step to transform how serious infections are diagnosed in hospitals. Experts believe this initiative will not only speed up detection but also help reduce the unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. The move directly addresses the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
The Problem with Current Diagnostic Methods
Patients arriving at hospitals with symptoms like fever, breathlessness, or severe illness often face a frustrating and time-consuming process. Doctors typically order a series of tests one after another to rule out infections such as dengue, influenza, Covid-19, and typhoid.
Each negative test result delays the final diagnosis and appropriate treatment. These delays can sometimes lead to serious health consequences for patients. The current approach relies heavily on symptom-based provisional diagnosis, which is often imprecise.
How the Current System Works
Dr. Hitender Gautam, professor of microbiology at AIIMS, explains the existing procedure. "When a patient comes to a hospital with a suspected infectious cause, samples are sent for testing based on the provisional diagnosis," he says. "If the test comes back positive, we make a definitive diagnosis and start treatment immediately."
"But if the test is negative," Dr. Gautam continues, "testing for other pathogens follows. This sequential approach often causes significant delays in both diagnosis and correct treatment initiation."
ICMR's Innovative Solution
ICMR has developed a plan to create multiplex molecular diagnostic tests. These advanced tests can identify several different infections in a single run. This approach will dramatically cut diagnostic delays and improve clinical decision-making.
The step-by-step testing method currently used has multiple drawbacks. It increases healthcare costs and risks missing the actual cause of illness. Many infections present with overlapping symptoms, making them difficult to distinguish through traditional testing methods.
The planned single-test model will screen for priority pathogens all at once. This allows clinicians to move much faster from suspicion to confirmation. The tests will be specifically tailored to India's disease burden using comprehensive national surveillance data.
The Wider Clinical Consequences
Diagnostic delays create ripple effects throughout the healthcare system. While waiting for test results, doctors often initiate empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy as a precautionary measure.
"Empirical antibiotic therapy is started during the provisional diagnosis phase," Dr. Gautam explains. "It broadly covers many microorganisms. If this continues for an extended period without a positive report, it significantly increases the chances of antimicrobial resistance developing."
The Antimicrobial Resistance Challenge
Concerns about this trend are clearly reflected in recent data. The ICMR-Antimicrobial Resistance Research & Surveillance Network annual report for 2024 shows alarming trends. Several routinely used antibiotics are rapidly losing their effectiveness against bacteria most frequently isolated from hospitals.
Faster, syndrome-based diagnosis could help reverse this dangerous pattern. Early shift to targeted therapy carries a much lower risk of resistance development. Targeted treatments are more effective and reduce the selective pressure that drives antimicrobial resistance.
Broader Public Health Benefits
ICMR has also linked quicker diagnosis to stronger outbreak surveillance capabilities. The organization cites important lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. During that crisis, delayed detection allowed early silent transmission to occur unchecked.
The proposed diagnostic approach will support better outbreak management. It will enable faster identification of infectious agents during public health emergencies.
Implementation and Support
ICMR will actively support Indian manufacturers and research institutions in this initiative. The organization will help develop, validate, and scale up these diagnostic kits. Special attention will be given to ensuring rapid production capacity during outbreaks and future pandemics.
The research council has set a deadline of January 25 for receiving proposals. This timeline reflects the urgency ICMR places on addressing this critical healthcare challenge.
This innovative approach represents a significant advancement in India's diagnostic capabilities. It addresses multiple healthcare challenges simultaneously while positioning the country better for future public health emergencies.
