Doctors soon will have a new way to evaluate patients with concussions: a rapid blood test made by Abbott Laboratories that has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
It’s an advancement that could eliminate the need for some patients to get costly CT scans and the radiation exposure that accompanies them.
The test works by measuring proteins that can be present in the blood after a traumatic brain injury. It uses blood drawn from the arm and can be performed on a handheld device. It can produce results in 15 minutes, after plasma is extracted from the blood, which typically takes place in a lab. The test has been approved for use in people ages 18 years and older.
The FDA approved the test as a way for doctors to rule out the need for a CT scan, which is often necessary to figure out whether there’s brain tissue damage after an injury, Abbott announced Monday. If the blood test doesn’t detect the proteins or detects very low levels of them, it’s unlikely the patient has tissue damage.
“If it comes out negative, then it gives clinicians and patients a sense of certainty that they can go home,” said Dr. Beth McQuiston, medical director of Abbott’s diagnostics arm. “You don’t have to wait for a CT. You can get them home and give them peace of mind.”
Patients who test positive will still likely need CT scans. The test is approved for patients with suspected mild traumatic brain injuries, not those exhibiting severe symptoms.
Nearly 3 million people in the U.S. went to emergency rooms, were hospitalized or died from traumatic brain injuries in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The injuries are typically caused by bumps, blows or jolts to the head because of falls, being struck by objects or motor vehicle accidents.
