A New Blood Test for TBI may Predict Disability or Death

September 13, 2022, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Dr. Frederick Korley at the University of Michigan has published the results of his research in the Lancet Neurology and the results are promising.

The predictive value of GFAO and UCH-L1 testing as a day of injury assessment was investigated.

The researchers enrolled 2552 patients from the “Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury (TRACK-TBI) observational cohort study. TRACK-TBI includes patients 17 years and older who are evaluated for TBI at 18 US level 1 trauma centres. All patients receive head CT at evaluation, have adequate visual acuity and hearing preinjury, and are fluent in either English or Spanish. In our analysis, we included participants aged 17–90 years who had day-of-injury plasma samples for measurement of GFAP and UCH-L1 and completed 6-month assessments for outcome due to traumatic brain injury with the Glasgow Outcome Scale–Extended (GOSE-TBI). Biomarkers were analyzed as continuous variables and in quintiles.”

They conducted blood test of the day of a serious brain injury and the results can predict whether the patient will die or whether severe disability can be avoided. The blood test can help determine whether the traumatic brain injury is treatable. 1700 individuals with severe traumatic brain injury were tested and evaluated to outcomes 6 months after their injury. Their Glasgow Outcome Scale measurements were compared.

They concluded that patients with a GFAP value of less than 20% were 23 times more likely to die within six months of the injury. Patients with a UCH-L1 value of less than 20% were 63 times more likely to die.
Early and accurate testing is required. The blood test should be taken immediately on the day of the injury. There is hope that this research will lead to better predictive and diagnostic tools for traumatic brain injury.

If you or a loved one has sustained a TBI due to someone else’s negligence you should contact one of our experienced personal injury lawyers immediately for your free initial consultation. We will give you the support and guidance you need. Don’t face your situation alone.

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

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