No hospital visit required: doctors are testing head injury samples at the scene of the incident.

In the event of a car accident or other dangerous situations, head injuries are among the most severe types of trauma. When internal bleeding occurs, every second counts, and doctors have developed a new method for detecting it without the need for a hospital visit.

2025-01-19 07:44:25https://focus.ua/technologies/689091-vizit-v-bolnicu-ne-ponadobitsya-vrachi-testiruyut-analiz-travm-golovy-na-meste-proisshestviya

The East Anglian Air Ambulance has initiated an unusual technical and economic study to assess the feasibility of using minimally invasive blood analysis at the accident site to identify brain injuries. This 12-month project, known as the BRAIN-FIRST study, aims to determine whether ambulance crews can effectively conduct and interpret this test to detect bleeding in the brain. If this practice proves effective, it could save thousands of lives, reports Eastern Daily Press.

If successful, such an innovation could significantly enhance pre-hospital care and expedite the rescue of patients with severe head injuries. A central component of the study is the portable blood analyzer iSTAT Alinity, which measures brain biomarkers in a patient’s blood and provides diagnostic results within minutes.

Elevated levels of biomarkers may indicate intracranial hemorrhage, allowing emergency specialists to diagnose injuries on-site and prioritize rapid transport to specialized medical facilities, such as neurosurgery or major trauma centers. This approach could streamline treatment and improve patient outcomes, potentially reducing mortality rates associated with traumatic brain injuries.

The consultant physician for the ambulance service and lead author of the BRAIN-FIRST study, Dr. James Price, emphasized the promise of this innovation. "Brain biomarkers have been extensively studied in laboratory and hospital settings and have shown potential as tools for identifying traumatic brain injuries," he explained. Price also highlighted that this project aims to assess the feasibility and accuracy of conducting such tests in the pre-hospital phase, stating that earlier diagnosis and rapid intervention could improve patient outcomes and ultimately save more lives.

This study is the first of its kind in the UK and represents a step forward in integrating advanced diagnostic tools into pre-hospital care. Traditionally, traumatic brain injuries are diagnosed only after hospital admission using imaging technologies such as CT scans. By shifting part of the diagnostic process to the accident scene, this initiative could redefine emergency care methods for head injuries, potentially reducing the critical time from diagnosis to treatment.

Traumatic brain injuries pose a significant public health challenge: according to the Brain Injury Group, around 1.4 million people each year visit emergency departments in the UK due to head injuries. In some cases, this involves intracranial bleeding that requires immediate intervention to prevent life-threatening complications. Portable biomarker testing could address this issue by providing ambulance crews with real-time operational data.

Important! This article is based on the latest scientific and medical research and does not contradict them. The text is for informational purposes only and does not contain medical advice. For diagnosis, please consult a physician.