Concussions, also known as mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), are a staggering problem, particularly in the United States armed forces. In fact, approximately 300,000 service members have been diagnosed with TBI worldwide since 2001. That’s why the U.S. Department of Defense recently joined forces with Abbott with the hopes to develop a new blood test capable of evaluating potential concussions. Currently in development, the test will be designed to detect specific proteins in the blood associated with TBI and will be used on Abbott’s i-STAT analyzer – a handheld, portable device already used within the military to perform a broad range of common blood tests.
See a video clip and read full article about the concussion blood test.
1. Department of Defense worldwide numbers for TBI. Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Website: https://dvbic.dcoe.mil/dod-worldwide-numbers-tbi. Accessed October 24, 2014.
IKUTI ABBOTT