Overview

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of hospital mortality, with a rate of approximately 20% (World Health Organization) among vulnerable patients admitted to high-intensity care units such as CCUs and inpatient wards. Currently, diagnostic criteria such as the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, although widely used, lack sufficient specificity and accuracy. No established parameters are available for early and timely diagnosis. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the variability of blood plasma conductivity and dielectric constant using microwave probes previously validated for non-invasive glucose monitoring. The acquired data will be analyzed using the Anritsu VectorStar VNA to identify innovative and reliable parameters associated with the presence of severe infections.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Cardiology patients without documented infection (Control Group)
• Patients with sepsis
• Patients with nosocomial infection
• Patients with myocarditis, endocarditis, or pericarditis
• Ability to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with severe or chronic medical conditions that may interfere with study results, such as autoimmune diseases, renal or hepatic failure
• Patients taking medications that could affect the measured biophysical parameters, such as corticosteroids or immunosuppressants
• Patients with cancer
• Patients with diseases involving the immune system (e.g., lymphomas, leukemias)
• Patients with congenital or acquired immunodeficiencies (e.g., HIV)
• Patients who are unable to read and sign the informed consent form