ORLANDO, Fla. — A new blood test to help evaluate patients with suspected mild traumatic brain injury or concussion is now being used here in Central Florida. Orlando Regional Medical Center is the first hospital in the world to use the test.
▶Watch Eyewitness News on Channel 9
The i-STAT TBI test was developed in collaboration with Abbott, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) and the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity (USAMMDA) of the U.S. Department of Defense. Patients can get results in just 15 minutes.
“This is a groundbreaking achievement,” said Dr. Lina Papa, director of academic clinical research at Orlando Health. “It's truly groundbreaking.”
For 25 years, she has been working to find a blood test to diagnose the brain condition.
READ: County attorney asks state attorney to investigate Seminole County election officials
“We do blood tests for damage to all the organs in the body,” Dr. Papa said, “but we didn't do blood tests for brain damage. But that's changed.”
Currently used at the bedside at ORMC, the i-STAT TBI test checks a patient's blood to detect two biomarkers that may be present after brain injury, providing results in just minutes.
“When you have a TBI, your brain gets shaken up,” Dr. Papa says, “and damage occurs to cells, brain cells. These biomarkers are released into the bloodstream.”
Read: National Public Data Breach: Hackers Access Personal Information of 2.9 Billion People
Currently, the most common way to diagnose brain injuries is a CT scan, which Dr. Papa said is time-consuming and expensive.
She believes that administering TBI blood tests in ambulances or alongside sporting events could save lives before patients ever step foot in a hospital.
The i-STAT TBI test reduces the need for CT scans and will likely become more widely available in the future.
Orange County leaders to vote on plan to clear millions in medical debt
“This test will allow us to actually diagnose concussions,” Dr. Papa said, “to determine if a patient needs specific treatment or not, and to develop new ways to treat brain injuries.”
Just like adults, children are susceptible to concussions and TBIs, so doctors are currently evaluating administering this very test to children.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV app and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2024 Cox Media Group
