Blood Test Helps Clinicians Gauge Brain Injury Severity
Researchers have identified clinical cutoffs for blood-based biomarkers that help diagnose traumatic brain injuries (TBI) more accurately. This tool aims to improve triage for patients who might otherwise be missed by standard CT scans.
Why it matters
Improved diagnostic tools for TBI could significantly reduce long-term disability rates by ensuring patients receive appropriate care earlier.
Clinician-scientists hope to expand the use of blood-based biomarker tests for traumatic brain injury (TBI) to improve identification and escalation of care for patients whose diagnosis otherwise might be missed.
In a study published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery , a multi-institutional research team led by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine neurosurgery clinician-scientists report clinical cutoffs for two brain-associated proteins detected in the blood after brain injury that may help better identify and triage patients with TBI.
Approximately 2.8 million people experience a TBI each year in the U.S. , with significant mortality, morbidity and long-term disability. "There are amazingly poor long-term outcome rates for people with a TBI who get seen in the emergency department," said Shawn Eagle, Ph.D., assistant professor in Pitt's Department of Neurological Surgery and lead author of the study.
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