ORLANDO, Fla. — Researchers at Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center recently discovered a blood test that could help doctors determine the severity of a patient's brain injury.
According to Orlando Health, physicians currently rely on computed tomography (CT) scans to initially evaluate a traumatic brain injury or concussion. But, researchers say this new blood test will allow doctors to decide whether a patient with a mild brain injury or concussion needs a CT scan.
The study, which was published in JAMA Network Open, also found the blood test helped detect brain injuries on CT scans. The TBI biomarkers blood tests were 100 percent sensitive in detecting CT lesions on their own, according to researchers.
“Roughly ten percent of patients with so-called mild TBI or concussions can have serious brain injuries on CT scan that require rapid treatment. It is critical to detect these injuries,” Linda Papa, lead author of the study, explained in a news release.
“This also means that the majority of patients will not need a CT scan. Minimizing exposure to unnecessary radiation from CT scans is also a consideration.”
Blood tests are typically used to make clinical decisions for conditions like coronary heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes. Researchers say this new discovery may change how patients are treated going forward.
