Concussion Blood Test Could Reduce Unnecessary CT Scans

Following a process that lasted less than six months, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved a blood test which could be used to diagnose concussion. The Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator is the first blood test designed to detect the signs of serious brain injuries, is intended to speed up the diagnosis of concussion and brain injury, without the need for a CT scan. Diagnosing a brain injury without a CT scan brings with it the double benefits of keeping medical costs low, while avoiding exposing the patients to radiation, unless absolutely necessary.

Diagnosing Traumatic Brain Injury with a Blood Test

There’s a lot of specialized knowledge behind the development of this blood test, as you may imagine, but here’s a simple explanation of what it does and what’s next in the process.

• The blood test identifies two brain-specific proteins, which are known to appear in the blood within the first 12 hours after a brain injury
• The presence of these proteins can help identify which patients may have brain lesions that could benefit from the use of a CT scan
• Results are currently available within 4 hours of testing
• Plans are afoot for the testing to be available in emergency rooms, sports locker rooms and ambulances within the next two years

With around 50,000 people dying from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and 2.8 million cases treated across the United States in 2013 alone, it’s clear that this blood test could offer huge benefits.
The US military have also been involved in the development of the test, it is also intended for use on injured service men and women.

What Are the Main Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury?

Given that almost 3 million cases of traumatic brain injury occurred in the US in just one year, it’s clear that these injuries are sustained more often than you may realize. The military uses of the concussion-diagnosing blood tests will, of course, be more specialized, but, in everyday civilian lives, these are the most common causes of TBI:

• Car accidents
• Shooting
• Falls

Traumatic brain injuries can also be caused by chemicals, tumors and stroke.

Are You Living with the Effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury?

If you’re living with the effects of a traumatic brain injury sustained at work, whether that was through falling in your place of work, or being involved in a car accident while travelling for work, you may have a claim for workers compensation.

Every worker in Los Angeles, and beyond, is entitled to a safe working environment, but as experienced on the job injury attorneys, we know that’s not always the case. Traumatic brain injuries are at the severe end of the spectrum, but some of the common on the job injuries caused by negligence include:

• Slips and falls
• Lung disease
• Headaches and migraines
• Ringing in the ears
• Loss of hearing
• Loss of vision
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
• Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome

Just one catastrophic incident on the job could leave you with life-changing injuries. A Los Angeles workplace injury attorney could use aggressive and comprehensive techniques to get you the compensation you deserve. To schedule a free initial consultation, call the Law Offices of William Kropach on 818-609-7005 today.