UCHealth emergency departments in Colorado Springs using new blood test that can rule out mild brain injuries
Memorial Hospital Central and Memorial Hospital North are first in state to implement assessment tool that can eliminate the need for costly CT scan
Summary
Two UCHealth emergency departments in Colorado Springs are the first to use the i-STAT Alinity traumatic brain injury test. Using a few drops of blood, the bedside test helps clinicians determine whether or not a patient with a mild brain injury needs a CT scan.
Key Facts
- Prior to implementation of the i-STAT test, most patients suspected of a traumatic brain injury would receive a CT scan.
- The test looks for two proteins released in the bloodstream after a head injury and helps clinicians determine whether or not a CT scan is needed.
- The hospitals have used the test more than 175 times over six months and it eliminated the need for a CT scan in 80% of cases, shortening a patient’s hospital stay and reducing costs
Colorado Springs, Colo. (Aug. 06, 2026) – UCHealth emergency departments at Memorial Hospital Central and Memorial Hospital North are the first in the state to use a blood test that can quickly determine whether a patient may have suffered a mild brain injury, including a concussion.
Faster results save time and money
With just a few drops of blood, Abbott's i-STAT Alinity traumatic brain injury (TBI) test can eliminate the need for a computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain, reducing exposure to radiation. The test is also able to provide lab quality results in about 15 minutes and can help clinicians rule out the need for a CT scane, which can take more than three hours to complete and read.
“Avoiding a scan can shorten your stay in the emergency department, lower radiation exposure associated with a scan, eliminate the need for a radiologist’s evaluation and reduce costs for everyone,” said Dr. George Hertner, chair of emergency medicine in Southern Colorado. “Everybody wins.”
Avoiding unnecessary CT scans
Hertner said the hospitals have used the test more than 175 times over the past six months with strong results. Evaluating patients for possible mild brain injuries – often suffered from falls or while playing sports – is commonplace in the emergency department. The test is also frequently used for patients who have been in motor vehicle accidents or have suffered a blow to the head.
How the test works
The test – done with a handheld device at the patient’s bedside - looks for two proteins released into the bloodstream after a brain injury. If the proteins are not present, patients can avoid a CT scan. If the test is positive, a scan is often still necessary.
“It’s a rule-out test – it helps us know when we don’t need to do a CT scan. In that capacity, it has performed very well,” Hertner said, adding that the test eliminated the need for scans in 80% of the cases.
He further explained: “When you hit your head, we want to know if there could be bleeding in the brain. A strong hit can damage brain cells, which release specific proteins into the blood. This test helps us see if that kind of injury may have happened and if a CT scan is needed. So if your test is positive, we should do a scan.”
Who can receive the test
- It can be used only on patients 18 and older.
- It must be used within 24 hours of injury.
“We are exploring how we can safely use this test in a more broad range of people,” Hertner said. “This test is already demonstrating the ability to use resources where they are most needed.”
Signs of a head injury
Signs of a potential head injury include loss of consciousness, headache, repetitive vomiting, blurred vision, difficulty thinking clearly and short-term memory issues.
About UCHealth
UCHealth is a nationally recognized nonprofit health system that pushes the boundaries of medicine through advanced treatments and clinical trials, improving health through innovation and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. Investing $1.6 billion in community benefits including $762 million in uncompensated and charity care each year, UCHealth is Colorado’s largest Medicaid provider and dedicated to the communities it serves. With the region’s only adult academic medical center, University of Colorado Hospital on the CU Anschutz campus, UCHealth includes 38,000 employees, 15 acute-care hospitals and thousands of physicians across Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska.