New Test Checks for Internal Bleeding in Concussion Patients

Accident victims who suffer concussions can experience a wide range of symptoms, including everything from headaches and insomnia to mood swings and nausea. In severe cases, a patient could even suffer from intracranial bleeding, which can have even more devastating consequences, including permanent brain damage and death. Fortunately, a recently developed and approved blood test could help doctors identify brain bleeds in concussion patients early enough to begin life saving treatment. The results from these types of tests can also play a crucial role in helping accident victims recover compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. To learn more about how to prove fault in your own concussion case, please contact our experienced traumatic brain injury legal team today.

Testing for Intracranial Bleeding

Intracranial bleeding, or bleeding in the brain, is notoriously difficult to diagnose, especially in elderly patients. A new blood test that was recently authorized by the FDA, however, could help determine whether a head injury patient has brain tissue damage and requires further assessment through a CT scan. Known as the Brain Trauma Indicator, the blood test measures certain proteins that are typically released into a person’s bloodstream within 12 hours of a head injury. These numbers can then be used to determine how serious a head injury is and whether a patient should incur the cost and risk of a CT scan.

Other Testing Methods

Although we can expect to see the Brain Trauma Indicator blood test used more and more often over the coming years, doctors will still rely on other forms of testing, including:

• Neurological tests, which assess a head injury patient’s vision, hearing, balance, coordination, reflexes, and strength and sensation;
• Cognitive testing, which evaluates a patient’s memory, ability to recall information, and concentration; and
• Imaging tests, which can be used to determine whether a patient is suffering from a brain bleed.

Imaging tests, including CT scans, which provides cross sectional images of the skull and brain through the use of an x-ray and MRI scans, which uses magnets and radio waves to create detailed images of the brain, have proven crucial in helping diagnose concussion patients. Unfortunately, these tests are extremely expensive and in many cases of minor concussions, prove unnecessary. The new concussion blood test could help reduce this cost for many patients by eliminating the need for further diagnostic tests, and could also help patients with severe injuries obtain treatment much more quickly.

Contact Our Fort Lauderdale Office Today

If you were involved in an accident through no fault of your own and were diagnosed with a concussion, you could be entitled to compensation for your head injury-related losses, including medical bills and lost wages. To learn more about filing a concussion claim, please call the experienced Fort Lauderdale traumatic brain injury attorneys at Boone & Davis. You can reach our office by calling 954-566-9919 or by completing one of our online contact forms. We offer free initial consultations, so please don’t hesitate to call or contact us online with your legal questions.

Resource:

medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/concussion-tests/