Study Finds Blood Test May Detect Concussion in Kids
Nov-12-2015

A simple blood test may one day be able to detect concussions in children, a new study suggests.

The test, which has already been used in adults, detected traumatic brain injuries in kids 94 percent of the time. More important, a negative result means a CT scan, and the radiation exposure it brings, may not be needed the researchers said.

"When a child comes in with a head injury, we have to decide whether they have a concussion," said study author Dr. Linda Papa, an emergency medicine physician with Orlando Health in Florida.

"We also have to decide whether the child needs a CT scan," Papa added. "CT scans are not harmless."

A CT scan exposes the child's brain to radiation that can cause damage, Papa explained. "The more we avoid CT scans, the better it is for the patient," she said.

About 250,000 kids are treated each year for brain injuries such as concussions, according to Papa. A simple test that could take the guesswork out of diagnosing these kids could change the way concessions are identified, she said.

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