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GENEVA – A head injury in football or an accident happened quickly. As a rule of thumb, the medical badessment of whether the affected people have suffered a concussion lasts much longer. A new blood test will be useful.
A single drop of blood is enough to diagnose a mild traumatic brain injury in ten minutes, said Monday the University of Geneva. The rapid test inspired pregnancy test was developed by Jean-Charles Sanchez, professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Geneva, with Spanish colleagues.
They exploited the fact that some blood proteins after a mild brain injury increases. This is because the brain cells are damaged in a blow to the head, releasing these proteins.
Proteins suggest risk
Researchers compared protein levels in the blood of patients with mild traumatic brain injury. For some of them, computed tomography (CT) examination was negative. In other patients, however, the suspicion of a cranio-cerebral trauma has confirmed.
Both groups differed in their blood levels, as the researchers report in the newspaper "PlosOne". Scientists identified four molecules that indicated brain damage: H-FABP, Interleukin-10, S100B, and GFAP. "We found that H-FABP alone confirms in a third of patients that there is no risk of trauma," said Sanchez in the statement
All-clear or hospitalization [19659003]] For patients, this means: If a line appears after ten minutes on the test called TBIcheck, the person must go to a hospital to diagnose the type of brain injury by CT.
If the test field remains empty, the patient can safely return home. Tiring clarifications at the hospital and the radiation dose of CT are spared him. In the long run, this will reduce the burden of emergencies and reduce health costs because CT scans are very expensive.
According to Sanchez, development opens up new possibilities for quick checkups following a boxing or football accident. There, the result of the test could decide if a player can continue safely. But even in remote areas, such as after a climbing accident, the test could for example be used in a family doctor's office. A start-up is planned to commercialize it by 2019.
The research group is already looking to improve the current test by combining the H-FABP and GFAP values. This should make it possible to give half of those suspected of having brain damage absolute certainty.
Every year, three million people in Europe with symptoms of mild brain injury are admitted to hospitals. They suffer from visual disturbances, vomiting or temporary fainting. However, only ten percent of them confirm their suspicions after CT.
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