Remember those rules when we were younger and had an accident? We weren’t allowed to lay down, because we might fall asleep- and since no one really understood much about concussions, they were worried thatwe’d succumb.
To be honest, it took us a long time to learn more about concussive injury. Let’s state a basic fact- a concussion is a form of TBI- traumatic brain injury. It is normally a mild form (since they are usually not life threatening), due to the bump, blow, or jolt we received to our head. (Without exaggeration, I am sure that I have experienced somewhere between 400 and 800 concussive injuries- from falls, from explosions, from accidents, etc.)
We categorize concussive injury into three grades, as shown in the diagram below.
The problem has been to determine if and how strong a concussive injury is manifested in a patient. Most of us wave off a concussion, as just a bump to our heads. While we may think it’s no big deal (Yes, I am in that category), that’s not necessarily true. Which is why this piece of news is so welcome.
Because the FDA has just approved Abbott Laboratories’ brand new blood test that runs on its Alinity machine, for concussive injury. (The Alinity is found in many hospitals and clinics across the USA.) The test is for adults- within 12 hours of injury. The test has a 96.7% sensitivity and a 99.4% negative predictive value. And, this test had been approved by the EU last year; it is now allowed for use in the USA.
The test examines two blood biomarkers (associated with brain injury) and within 18 minutes, the results are shown. This means those who don’t show up positive on the test do not need to under an expensive CT scan and they may be able to leave the hospital promptly (since there is no concussion treatment needed),
(TECHNICAL: Skip if you feel intimidated: The Alinity measure Ubiquitin C-terminal Hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) and Glial Fibrillary Acidic biomarkers. (They are monitored both in serum and blood plasma.) Ubiquitin is found in almost all eukaryotic organisms [cells that have a nucleus]; the protein regulates the processes of the other proteins in the body. The glial fibrillary acidic biomarker provides information about the central nervous system.]
Most concussions are treated in the emergency rooms of hospitals and urgent care centers- or may be totally untreated. But, there are some 225K TBI related hospitalizations and 65000 deaths associated with these sort of TBI. And, folks who are 75 or older manifest the highest rates of TBI related hospitalizations and deaths.
Such as is the case with Senator Mitch McConnell who suffered a fall in a hotel during a fund-raising event. As a precaution, they kept him hospitalized for a few days, releasing him this morning, so he can undergo physical therapy and rehab.
Yes, members of my family and my in laws have suffered concussions, including a tragic one in a elderly person (family members didn’t seek medical attention promptly because she claimed she was OK) that led to months of suffering and her eventual demise. This news is wonderful. I just hope that our local hospitals will have this available soon.
Me, too, Alana.