Diagnose brain trauma in 10 minutes



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A text by Alain Labelle

At present, the only reliable diagnosis is made using a CT scan, a medical imaging technique used in hospitals. In addition to being expensive, this examination exposes patients to radiation.

A drop of blood is sufficient to diagnose mild brain trauma. If a line appears below the line of control, the injured person will have to go to the hospital. Photo: University of Geneva

Did you know?

  • No less than 85% of head injuries are mild;
  • Three million Canadians visit the hospital each year due to a suspicion of trauma
  • Head injury victims are mostly men aged 15 to 24.

We wondered whether it was possible to isolate certain proteins whose presence in the blood increases in the event of mild traumatic brain injury

Jean-Charles Sanchez, researcher at the University of Geneva

"Our idea was to find a way to make a quick examination that would allow, during a boxing match or football match, to example, to say if the athlete can return to the field or if his condition requires hospitalization. All the opposite of CT Scan, a long-term exam that can not be done anywhere, "says the researcher.

A Quick Scan Kit

This quick test named TBIcheck, developed by Jean-Charles Sanchez and his colleagues at the University of Geneva, is inspired by the pregnancy test. By putting a single drop of blood on the tongue, it is possible to know the rate of certain proteins in the blood and thus to diagnose a slight traumatic brain injury in a few minutes.

If a band appears, the injured must go to pbad a CT Scan; if there is nothing, he can go home safely!

Jean-Charles Sanchez

This kit should be marketed next year. His arrival could not only relieve emergencies and free patients from often long waiting times, but also save money by avoiding costly medical examinations.

The details of this work are published in the journal PLOS ONE.

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