FAST: Rapid determinations of antibiotic susceptibility phenotypes using label‐free cytometry

Sepsis, a life‐threatening immune response to blood infections (bacteremia), has a ∼30% mortality rate and is the 10th leading cause of US hospital deaths. The typical bacterial loads in adult septic patients are ≤100 bacterial cells (colony forming units, CFU) per ml blood, while pediatric patients exhibit only ∼1000 CFU/ml. Due to the low numbers, bacteria must be propagated through ∼24‐hours blood cultures to generate sufficient CFUs for...