Blood Test For Brain Injuries Gains Momentum

A blood test that can help predict the seriousness of a head injury and detect the status of the blood-brain barrier is a step closer to reality, according to two recently published studies involving University of Rochester Medical Center researchers.   The test is used routinely in 16 European countries as a screening device.  But in the United States, the current, accepted standard screening tool for head injuries is still the CT scan, which shows bleeding in the brain but does not detect more subtle injury to the brain's neurons, which can result in lasting neurological defects. 

There are more than 1 million emergency visits annually for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the U.S. The majority of these visits are for mild injuries, primarily the result of falls and motor vehicle crashes. The challenge for doctors is to identify which of these patients has an acute, traumatic intracranial injury, something that is not always evident, and which patients can be observed and sent home.

You can read more on the University of Rochester Medical Center's web site.

All of the attorneys at SMSH have extensive experience handling cases involving traumatic brain injuries.  Please contact us for a free consultation on any case involving such an injury at (800) 282-2122.