Optimizing emergency care for neurotrauma patients

The University of Cincinnati's Natalie Kreitzer, MD, was featured in an Emergency Medicine News article discussing new practices to optimize emergency care for patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Kreitzer said one of the most significant updates is the recent availability of blood biomarker tests for mild TBI. The tests measure levels of two proteins released when neurons are injured.

Additionally, measuring pupillary light response with a new small, inexpensive device called a quantitative pupillometer can provide doctors with more precise data to make more informed decisions.

“It's something I would encourage emergency departments to use, particularly because some of those decisions will guide whether the patient is a candidate for surgery or ICP [intracranial pressure] monitoring and other things further down the road, particularly if you're working in an emergency department where you have to transfer those patients out,” said Kreitzer, associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine in UC's College of Medicine and a UC Health physician.

Read the Emergency Medicine News article.

Featured photo at top of a doctor pointing to a data point on a neurotrauma monitor. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.