Brain Injury Blood Test

Traumatic Brain InjuryA traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a head injury that affects the function of the brain. The injury can range from mild to severe and may or may not cause a break or penetration of the skull.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, about 1.4 million Americans sustain a TBI. The injuries lead to 1.1 million visits to hospital emergency rooms, 235,000 hospitalizations and 50,000 deaths. The most common causes of TBI are falls, motor vehicle accidents, striking or being struck by an object and assault.Even a mild TBI can have serious consequences for a patient. Researchers estimate up to 15 percent of patients with mild TBI have some type of functional impairment one year after the injury. Some common long-term problems associated with TBI include: impaired thought and concentration, language difficulties and emotional problems.Screening for Potential ProblemsWhen a person comes to the ER with a TBI, doctors must determine if there is any bleeding in the brain. Jeffrey Bazarian, M.D., M.P.H., Emergency Physician with the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, NY, says bleeding can cause a pool of blood that puts pressure on the surrounding brain tissue, causing more damage. Currently, the best way to look for intracranial bleeding is with a CT scan.CT scans are used to detect a number of potential problems for ER patients. So the demand for the units is often high and the wait for a scan for a TBI patient can be long. In addition, Bazarian says, in 95 percent of patients with mild TBI, the CT scans are normal.The researchers are looking at another way to detect potential brain damage from a TBI, using a blood test instead of an imaging technique. The blood test looks for a marker, called S-100B, a type of protein from a type of brain cell known as an astrocyte. Studies show this marker is elevated in patients with a brain bleeding after a TBI.The blood test takes about 20 minutes to perform. However, studies suggest that the test must be done within three hours to ensure accuracy. If the test is negative, it’s most likely the patient doesn’t need a CT scan.Bazarian says although the S-100B test is approved for use in Europe, it is still under study in the U.S. Researchers are still enrolling patients in the US trial. In the future, a portable screener may be developed so that rescue workers can administer the test before the patient gets to the hospital. That will save time in the emergency room and enable doctors to start appropriate treatment faster