HJBR Mar/Apr 2023

62 MAR / APR 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Hospital Rounds overreacts to a serious infection, attacking more than just the infection itself. If not treated early enough, it can result in tissue damage, organ fail- ure, and death. Sepsis is the leading cause of death worldwide and responsible for more than 270,000 deaths every year in the United States, according to the Sepsis Alliance. Healthcare costs in the U.S. associated with the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis amount to $62 billion a year. Healthcare professionals in emer- gency departments operate under intense pres- sure to quickly assess medical needs, and until now, there has been no timely “gold standard” test to identify sepsis early, leading to the pos- sible misallocation of medical resources and the overuse of antibiotics. “IntelliSep is truly a game changer,” said O’Neal. “The test provides hospital staff with information needed to identify and treat septic patients effi- ciently and reduce the financial and health bur- dens of overtreatment for hospitals and patients.” Our Lady of the Lake Health’s research in part- nership with Cytovale dates to the very first studies conducted to model the IntelliSep test. In fact, the first patients to be tested using the diagnostic tool were patients at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. Cytovale’s research utilized resources shared with LSU, Our Lady of the Lake Health’s Cham- pionship Health Partner. Innovative research is one of the pillars of the LSU partnership, advanc- ing medical research and clinical treatment to address significant health issues around Louisi- ana and making Baton Rouge a nationally recog- nized hub of research excellence. “You have to have an excellent clinical partner to create this kind of success. Our research and labo- ratory teams have provided that environment for Cytovale,” said Christopher B. Thomas, MD, med- ical director of quality and patient safety for Fran- ciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System and critical care physician at LSU Health Sciences Center. “To be part of this journey from beginning to end speaks to our clinical excellence as well as our diverse team of top-tier researchers who lend their expertise to some of the premier research institutions in the country.” IntelliSep is expected to be available to health- care facilities in early 2023, and Our Lady of the Lake will be among the first to implement the Woman’s Hospital Raises Awareness of HPV Findings Unique to LouisianaWomen More than 13,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S. each year, and while it is one of the most preventable cancers today due in part to the HPV vaccine Gardasil 9, women in Louisiana may not be as protected as they think. There are approximately 70 different strains of HPV, 13 of which are known to cause cancer. The most common cancerous strains are 16 and 18, accounting for nearly 50% of high-grade cervical pre-cancers, according to the World Health Orga- nization. In Louisiana, however, that isn’t quite the case. A pilot study performed at Woman’s Hospital in 2018 looked at HPV strains found in abnormal Pap test specimens. Beverly Ogden, MD, a patholo- gist and medical director of research at Woman’s Hospital, said they knew before the study that 85% of the Pap specimens with HPV infection were not associated with HPV strains 16 and 18. The study, performed in collaboration with Jen- nifer Cameron, MD, at LSU New Orleans, showed the four most common viruses identified in the samples were HPV strains 51, 53, 59, and 89, none of which are included in the Gardasil 9 HPV vac- cine. Woman’s is conducting a follow-up study with Caitlin Witt, MD, a GYN resident, and Cam- eron to look at cancer-causing strains identified in cases of pre-cancer and cancer diagnosed at the hospital in the last five years. If this study shows similar results, it would suggest that vac- cine effectiveness could vary by geographic loca- tion or community. Certain strains may be more prevalent in differ- ent parts of the world, and knowing more informa- tion about these strains may guide which viruses are included in future vaccines. Though there are no definitive answers at this time, Ogden said it is important for women to continue to get vaccinated and see their doctors regularly to ensure early detection of abnormali- ties. Cervical cancer is largely preventable when patients are appropriately screened with an annual pelvic exam and Pap smear, and survival rates are extremely high for those who are diagnosed early in their case. While people may see Woman’s first and fore- most as a birthing facility, its roots are actually in cervical cancer research. In the late 1950s, when Pap smears were not in widespread use, a cervi- cal cancer detection laboratory was established by one of the Woman’s founders. The lab, known as the Cary Dougherty Cancer Detection Labora- tory, is the reason Woman’s exists today. The detection lab at Woman’s is credited with helping Baton Rouge cite one of the lowest cer- vical cancer death rates in the country, processing more than 56,000 Pap tests a year. Research at Our Lady of the Lake Health Helps Develop NewWay to Detect Sepsis Cytovale, a medical diagnostics company, announced that its IntelliSep test received FDA clearance, aiding clinicians in early detection of the No. 1 cause of death in hospitals: sepsis. Much of the research and clinical studies for this new technology took place right here in Baton Rouge, at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medi- cal Center and its Emergency Department. Since 2015, Our Lady of the Lake has partnered with Cytovale on more than half a dozen studies that led to this groundbreaking tool. Louisiana has the highest rate of sepsis mor- tality in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which makes the partnership between Our Lady of the Lake Health and Cytovale that much more crucial. “Early detection of sepsis is an invaluable capa- bility for healthcare professionals. Quickly identify- ing sepsis is critical to saving lives, but until now, we’ve lacked a reliable tool to either recognize the condition or explore alternate diagnoses,” said Hollis O’Neal, MD, medical director of research at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Cen- ter and critical care physician at LSU Health Sci- ences Center. O’Neal was also the national prin- cipal investigator on the multi-center study that supported the clearance. The IntelliSep test examines blood samples taken from patients as they enter the emergency room to see if white blood cells behave in a cer- tain way that would indicate a septic or non-sep- tic patient. In under 10 minutes, the test provides results that can empower emergency department teams with the means for time-sensitive decision- making and life-saving outcomes. Sepsis happens when the immune system