About the Authors

Frank Bloos

Affiliations Deptartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Therapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany, Center for Sepsis Control & Care, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany

Svea Sachse

Affiliation Jena University Hospital, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Jena, Germany

Andreas Kortgen

Affiliations Deptartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Therapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany, Center for Sepsis Control & Care, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany

Mathias W. Pletz

Affiliation Divison of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany

Marc Lehmann

Current address: Moldiax GmbH, Jena, Germany

Affiliation SIRS-Lab GmbH, Jena, Germany

Eberhard Straube

Affiliation Jena University Hospital, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Jena, Germany

Niels C. Riedemann

Affiliation Deptartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Therapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany

Konrad Reinhart

Affiliations Deptartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Therapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany, Center for Sepsis Control & Care, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany

Michael Bauer

Michael.Bauer@med.uni-jena.de

Affiliations Deptartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Therapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany, Center for Sepsis Control & Care, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany

Competing Interests

KR and ES are minimal shareholders of SIRS-Lab GmbH. FB received a travel grant from SIRS-Lab GmbH. MB received consulting fees from SIRS-Lab GmbH. ML was employee of SIRS-Lab GmbH during the conduct of the study, where he had the scientific responsibility for VYOO. ML is now director of Moldiax GmbH, where he has no competing interest regarding this study. SIRS-Lab GmbH has supplied the VYOO®-Kits and personnel to run the PCR. SIRS-Lab GmbH has also financed a prospective study which took place after this study was completed. The study goals and feasibility issues have been discussed with SIRS-Lab GmbH during the preparation phase of the study. ES holds a patent for the LOOXTER technique where prokaryotic DNA can be enriched in a way that a simple PCR protocol (VYOO) can detect such DNA. There are no further patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials, as detailed online in the guide for authors.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: FB KR MB. Performed the experiments: SS. Analyzed the data: FB AK MP. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: ML. Wrote the paper: FB AK NR MB. Interpretation of PCR and blood culture results: ES SS. Organization of PCR setup and interpretation of PCR results: ML. Patient recruitment: FB NR KR. Clinical arbitrators: AK MP.