The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded Beckman Coulter emergency use authorization (EUA) for its Access Interleukin-6 (IL-6) assay. The automated immunoassay is designed to detect IL-6 levels in serum and plasma.
The assay can be used to identify a severe inflammatory response and determine the risk of mechanical ventilation intubation in COVID-19 patients. Being able to determine this risk ensures that only patients who really need the ventilator are placed on it.
