New Blood Test Can Improve Triage for Seniors With Concussion

A study in the Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine determined a new blood test can accurately identify which seniors who have suffered a concussion lack brain tissue damage and do not require computed tomography (CT) scans, reports Philly Voice . This is the first blood test to assess concussion in persons who may have intracranial bleeding. The test measures glial fibrillary acidic protein and ubiquitin carboxyle-terminal esterase L1. The test was 100 percent accurate at identifying who did not have brain tissue damage, but it could not accurately identify individuals with damage. Consequently, the test can be effective as a rule-out test, but is limited as a rule-in test, according to Robert H. Christenson at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. His recommendation is that hospitals use the test in the triage process for seniors with concussion, but not as a substitute for CT scans.