Houston attorney asks: Does new brain injury blood test really work?

If you’ve ever suffered from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), or if you know somebody who has, you understand how difficult it can be for doctors to diagnose this condition.  Tests can be unreliable and can take time, and time is something that brain injury victims don’t have much of.

 

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a fast, reliable way for medical professionals to determine if an accident victim was suffering from a traumatic brain injury – before symptoms from the injury became apparent?  It probably sounds too good to be true, but some Army officers believe that it is not just possible, but a test is already here.

 

A biotech company has developed a test that has been used by the army in a small number of cases to detect potential brain injuries.  The test works by confirming the presence of two blood proteins in TBI victims, proteins that are not present in the blood of uninjured people.

 

If you are thinking, “Great, when will this test be available in ERs and hospitals?” you should know that there are some caveats.  First of all, the test was only performed on 34 Army patients – and each one had already been admitted to the hospital with a confirmed brain injury.

 

A larger clinical trial is underway that involves 1,200 patients, however it will not be done until 2013.  This trial will have to be successful for the FDA to approve the blood test for routine use.  Until then, accident victims worried that they are suffering from a traumatic brain injury will have to be diagnosed the old-fashioned way.

 

• Need help after an accident that may have resulted in a TBI?  Our Houston based personal injury attorneys can get you the skilled, aggressive representation you need to secure justice and fair compensation.