Blood tests 'could monitor brain injury'RSS Feed

High levels of a protein in the bloodstream can predict brain injury and death in critically ill children, according to new research.

Scientists from Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that the level of a protein can predict brain injury and death in children on extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Researchers studied 22 patients aged between two days and nine years-old and found that those with unusually high levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were 11 times more likely to suffer brain injury and 13 times more likely to die than those with standard GFAP levels.

This could see blood tests become a replacement for other tests such as ultrasounds or CT scans, according to the study.

Lead study investigator Melania Bembea said: "A simple, fast and easy-to-use test has been needed to monitor, predict and prevent brain damage in children on ECMO because these children are unresponsive or heavily sedated, and doctors cannot easily gauge their neurologic function."

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Posted by Timothy Walters
 

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