DIET & NUTRITION 
PATIENT EDUCATION 
OBESITY/WEIGHT MANAGEMENT 
EXERCISE/TRAINING 
LEGAL MATTERS 
GUIDELINES/RECOMMENDATIONS ✅ Clinical Decision Support / Validated Tool
Researchers evaluated a whole-blood point-of-care GFAP/UCH-L1 assay in adults presenting within 24 hours of suspected mild TBI (GCS 13-15). The study assessed whether biomarker testing could accurately identify patients unlikely to have intracranial injury on CT.
Clinical Considerations
- Sensitivity was 96.5% and negative predictive value was 96.5% for CT-detected intracranial injury.
- Performance was consistent across patients with GCS 15 and those with GCS 13-14.
- CT lesions were identified in 29.2% of participants.
- The test demonstrated high rule-out performance but relatively low specificity (40.3%).
- Generalizability may be limited because most participants were evaluated at Level 1 trauma centers.
Practice Applications
- Biomarker testing may help identify patients with mild TBI who are unlikely to benefit from CT imaging.
- Results support the growing role of blood-based biomarkers in acute TBI assessment.
- The assay should be viewed as a clinical decision-support tool, not a replacement for clinical judgment or established imaging criteria.
