Presymptomatic diagnosis of postoperative infection and sepsis

Blood samples and clinical/laboratory data were collected daily from patients undergoing elective surgery. A clinical adjudication panel identified patients with definite postoperative infection, some of whom developed sepsis. Transcriptomic data via illumina microarraays were acquired from sequential blood samples, collected up to three days prior to the development of clinical signs and symptoms of infection and and from matched patients with an uncomplicated recovery.