Photo credit to biospace.com
The FDA has approved a blood test to measure concussions and quickly identify brain injuries. This test may replace CT scans in about 30% of people with suspected brain trauma.
Every year, there are about 3 million ER visits related to brain injury. Nearly 50,000 of those people die.
Concussion is tricky to diagnose because in some, symptoms can show up right away and in others, they take hours or days to appear.
When concussions occur, the brain releases proteins into the bloodstream and can be detected within 12 hours of the trauma. Specific protein levels can predict which patients have brain injury and which ones don’t.
Using this blood test may reduce second-impact syndrome. This occurs when the first concussion isn’t resolved and another impact leads to brain swelling and dire consequences.
Ask your kids’ football or cheer team if they have access to this technology just in case.
Claudia
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