COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Two UCHealth emergency departments in Colorado Springs are the first in the state to implement a new tool that could allow patients to avoid the costs of a CT scan.
Memorial Hospital Central and Memorial Hospital North are the first in Colorado to use a blood test that can determine whether someone may have a mild brain injury, including concussions.
UCHealth says with just a few drops of blood, the i-STAT Alinity traumatic brain injury (TBI) test can eliminate the need for a CT scan of the brain.
The test can also make a diagnosis in roughly 15 minutes, instead of the hours it takes to complete and read a CT scan.
Chair of Emergency Medicine for UCHealth in southern Colorado, Dr. George Hertner, says that hospitals have used the test 175 times over the past six months with promising results.
Patients who have been subjected to the test range from mild brain injuries from falls or sports to patients who have been in car crashes.
The test looks for two proteins released in the bloodstream after a brain injury: if the test is negative, patients can avoid a CT scan. If the test is positive, a CT scan is often necessary.
Dr. Hertner says that the test eliminated the need for scans in 80% of the cases.
The test has some requirements;
- It can be used only on patients 18 and older.
- It must be used within 24 hours of injury.
“We are exploring how we can safely use this test in a more broad range of people,” Dr. Hertner said. “This test is already demonstrating the ability to use resources where they are most needed.”
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