Blood tests in newly brain-injured patients predict death, severe disability

Blood tests taken within 24 hours of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) flag which patients are likely to die and which patients are likely to survive with severe disability, according to a study headed by UC San Francisco, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan. Their results—available within minutes—may confirm the need for prompt surgical interventions or may help guide conversations with families in cases of devastating injury.