{"id":93153,"date":"2026-08-26T17:28:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T23:28:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=93153"},"modified":"2026-08-26T17:28:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T23:28:49","slug":"er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado Springs ERs are first in the state to use a new 15-minute blood test to check for brain injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_93157\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-93157\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-93157\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/21081734\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.webp\" alt=\"Parametic assessing a man in a car accident for possible brain injury. ER doctors in Colorado Springs are using a new blood test for possible brain injuries that can save patients time and money.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-93157\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">ER doctors in Colorado Springs are using a new blood test for possible brain injuries that can save patients time and money. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>ER doctors at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-memorial-hospital-central\/\">UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-memorial-hospital-north\/\">UCHealth Memorial Hospital North<\/a> in Colorado Springs are using a new blood test that can quickly determine whether a patient could have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/diseases-conditions\/brain-injury\/\">brain injury,<\/a> helping them save money and avoid unnecessary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/services\/radiology\/#ct\">CT scans<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The new test uses a few drops of a patient\u2019s blood to measure biomarkers that indicate the possibility of bleeding around the brain. The test results enable doctors to more quickly rule out the need for a costly computed tomography, or CT, scan of the brain.<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-12 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\">\n<h4><strong>Facts about the new blood test for brain injuries:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>ER doctors at two UCHealth hospitals in Colorado Springs are using a new blood test to determine whether a patient has bleeding around the brain.<\/li>\n<li>The blood test takes 15 minutes to get results and is performed at the patient&#8217;s bedside.<\/li>\n<li>Patients can avoid unnecessary head CT scans if the blood test shows no biomarkers of a brain injury.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Doctors at the two Colorado Springs hospitals are the first in the state to use the blood test. ER leaders at other UCHealth hospitals may soon bring the blood tests to their facilities, said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/provider\/george-l-hertner-md-emergency-medicine\/\">Dr. George Hertner<\/a>, chair of emergency medicine for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/services\/radiology\/#ct\">UCHealth<\/a> in southern Colorado.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m really excited about how this changes our care for mild head injuries,\u201d Hertner said. \u201cWe are always at the forefront of innovation and technology, and we are always looking at better ways to serve our patients and communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Blood tests: A new, easier way to assess head injuries that also cuts costs for patients <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Before biomarker testing for head injuries became available, doctors typically ordered CT scans for patients with head injuries, Hertner said.<\/p>\n<p>It turns out that many of those scans may not be necessary. Avoiding them will save patients money. <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26360006\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One older study of patients who visited ERs across the<\/a> U.S. found that doctors ordered CT scans for about 80% of patients who sought care for mild brain injuries. More than 90% of those scans showed no abnormality.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing able to do a blood test is really new and novel,\u201d Hertner said. \u201cWe can look at cell-specific proteins that enter the bloodstream after a head injury. That really lets us reduce the use of head CT scans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are changing the way we approach these patients for the first time in years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Doctors can administer the new blood tests at the patient&#8217;s bedside and get results in 15 minutes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Hertner and his team began using Abbott\u2019s <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalpointofcare.abbott\/us\/en\/product-details\/apoc\/istat-alinity.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">i-STAT Alinity<\/a> in December. It&#8217;s a handheld electronic device that uses a single-use cartridge containing testing materials.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_93155\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-93155\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-93155\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/21080517\/blood-test-for-TBI-device-web.webp\" alt=\"the i-STAT Alinity blood test device that tests for brain injury biomarkers. Doctors are using a new handheld device and single-use cartridge to check for biomarkers that appear in the bloodstream when a patient has bleeding around the brain. The device uses a few drops of a patient&apos;s blood and shows results on the screen in about 15 minutes. \" width=\"450\" height=\"600\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-93155\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A new handheld device and its single-use cartridge check for biomarkers that appear in the bloodstream when a patient has bleeding around the brain. The device uses a few drops of the patient&#8217;s blood and shows results on the screen in about 15 minutes. Photo by Joanna Bean, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Before rolling out the new devices, doctors tested them with 242 patients, using both the blood tests and CT scans. Among patients who did not show a brain injury on blood tests, CT scans confirmed the blood test results, Hertner said.<\/p>\n<p>Since December, doctors have used the new device with about 200 patients. In 80% of those cases, doctors determined that the patient didn\u2019t need a CT scan, Hertner said.<\/p>\n<p>CT scans can be expensive, depending on the type of scan and facility, while the blood test typically costs a few hundred dollars. Results also come in faster with blood tests. It can take up to three hours to get CT scan results, including time for the procedure and for a radiologist\u2019s interpretation of the scan results.<\/p>\n<p>With a blood test, medical providers can perform it at the patient\u2019s bedside. The device produces laboratory-quality results in about 15 minutes. That can shorten the patient\u2019s time in the ER and free up CT scan equipment for patients who need one.<\/p>\n<p><strong>To use the blood test, patients must be:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>18 or older and<\/li>\n<li>Arrive at the ER within 24 hours of the suspected brain injury<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>How do the new blood tests determine whether a person has a brain injury? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The new blood test detects two biomarkers that enter the bloodstream after someone suffers a possible brain injury.<\/p>\n<p>One biomarker is a protein called <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC4559283\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein<\/a> that peaks in the bloodstream within 20 hours after an injury. The second is a protein called <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.0911516107\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ubiquitin Carboxyl-Terminal Hydrolase L1<\/a>, which appears in the bloodstream within eight hours of an injury. Elevated levels of one or both biomarkers can indicate a brain injury.<\/p>\n<p>A provider places a few drops of the patient\u2019s blood onto the cartridge and inserts the cartridge into the device. The device displays a result of \u201cnot elevated\u201d or \u201celevated\u201d within 15 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>A \u201cnot elevated\u201d reading helps ER doctors rule out the need for a CT scan, alongside other diagnostic tools and their own observation of the patient.<\/p>\n<p>If the test shows elevated levels of brain-injury biomarkers, doctors typically order a CT scan.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Doctors look at all symptoms for possible brain injuries in patients<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Patients can sustain a brain injury in a bike or scooter crash, a fall, a car accident, a sports injury and other incidents. When someone comes to the ER with a suspected brain injury, doctors immediately assess whether they lost consciousness, have an altered mental state, and have blurred vision or a headache, among other indicators.<\/p>\n<p>Doctors also look at whether the patient has other traumatic injuries, such as a deep wound, broken bones, injuries to the abdomen or pelvis or other conditions that would warrant a CT scan.<\/p>\n<p>ER doctors regularly see patients with possible brain injuries. Hertner said he is studying how doctors can use the blood test with even more types of patients.<\/p>\n<p>Rolling out the new blood test required extensive testing and training for all ER providers and staff, said Kayla Boynton, UCHealth\u2019s Point of Care Coordinator for the southern region, who helped implement the new test.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been rewarding to see how the new test has benefits for both providers and patients, she said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s very exciting,\u201d she said. \u201cThis showcases the progress being made in laboratory medicine and in clinical innovation, and that\u2019s what our patients have come to expect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ER doctors at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central and UCHealth Memorial Hospital North in Colorado Springs are using a new blood test that can quickly determine whether a patient could have a brain injury, helping them save money and avoid unnecessary CT scans. The new test uses a few drops of a patient\u2019s blood to measure [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2418,"featured_media":93157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[3418,235,184,1242,21,395,2487,565],"class_list":["post-93153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-concussions-and-head-injuries","tag-emergency-care","tag-neurology","tag-radiology","tag-southern-colorado","tag-sports-medicine","tag-tbi","tag-trauma-services"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>ER doctors are using a new blood test for brain injuries - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With just a few drops of blood, patients can avoid long waits and expensive CT scans to determine if they have bleeding around their brain.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Colorado Springs ERs are first in the state to use a new 15-minute blood test to check for brain injuries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With just a few drops of blood, patients can avoid long waits and expensive CT scans to determine if they have bleeding around their brain.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-26T23:28:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/21081734\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joanna Bean\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joanna Bean\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joanna Bean\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d2654b7af79d7cee33cf7bbfeb9d40aa\"},\"headline\":\"Colorado Springs ERs are first in the state to use a new 15-minute blood test to check for brain injuries\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-26T23:28:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1129,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/21081734\\\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Concussions and head injuries\",\"Emergency care\",\"Neurology\",\"Radiology\",\"Southern Colorado\",\"Sports medicine\",\"TBI\",\"Trauma services\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/\",\"name\":\"ER doctors are using a new blood test for brain injuries - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/21081734\\\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-26T23:28:49+00:00\",\"description\":\"With just a few drops of blood, patients can avoid long waits and expensive CT scans to determine if they have bleeding around their brain.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/21081734\\\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/21081734\\\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.webp\",\"width\":800,\"height\":534,\"caption\":\"ER doctors in Colorado Springs are using a new blood test for possible brain injuries that can save patients time and money. Photo: Getty Images.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Colorado Springs ERs are first in the state to use a new 15-minute blood test to check for brain injuries\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"description\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UCHealth\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"UCHealth\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uchealth\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/uchealth\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/14839\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d2654b7af79d7cee33cf7bbfeb9d40aa\",\"name\":\"Joanna Bean\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/83a0cf56327c5a19f2e7f6fa78ee066ab3b215efddddef76944398ed6e340216?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/83a0cf56327c5a19f2e7f6fa78ee066ab3b215efddddef76944398ed6e340216?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/83a0cf56327c5a19f2e7f6fa78ee066ab3b215efddddef76944398ed6e340216?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Joanna Bean\"},\"description\":\"Joanna Bean is a writer for UCHealth Today. As the daughter of a Denver physician, she grew up hearing about the lifesaving power of medicine and the providers who care for patients. She loves meeting people and sharing their stories. Before joining UCHealth in 2025, Joanna worked as an award-winning reporter and editor-in-chief of The Colorado Springs Gazette. She also worked in communications roles at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, where she earned a Master of Public Administration degree. Joanna is a longtime resident of Colorado Springs and loves spending time in southern Colorado skiing, hiking, camping and biking \u2013 including on a tandem bike she rides with her husband.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/author\\\/jbean\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"ER doctors are using a new blood test for brain injuries - UCHealth Today","description":"With just a few drops of blood, patients can avoid long waits and expensive CT scans to determine if they have bleeding around their brain.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Colorado Springs ERs are first in the state to use a new 15-minute blood test to check for brain injuries","og_description":"With just a few drops of blood, patients can avoid long waits and expensive CT scans to determine if they have bleeding around their brain.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/","og_site_name":"UCHealth Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","article_published_time":"2026-08-26T23:28:49+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/21081734\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Joanna Bean","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uchealth","twitter_site":"@uchealth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joanna Bean","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/"},"author":{"name":"Joanna Bean","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/d2654b7af79d7cee33cf7bbfeb9d40aa"},"headline":"Colorado Springs ERs are first in the state to use a new 15-minute blood test to check for brain injuries","datePublished":"2026-08-26T23:28:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/"},"wordCount":1129,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/21081734\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.webp","keywords":["Concussions and head injuries","Emergency care","Neurology","Radiology","Southern Colorado","Sports medicine","TBI","Trauma services"],"articleSection":["Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/","name":"ER doctors are using a new blood test for brain injuries - UCHealth Today","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/21081734\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.webp","datePublished":"2026-08-26T23:28:49+00:00","description":"With just a few drops of blood, patients can avoid long waits and expensive CT scans to determine if they have bleeding around their brain.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/21081734\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/21081734\/GettyImages-2213517989-car-accident-brain-injury-blood-test-in-ER.jpg-web.webp","width":800,"height":534,"caption":"ER doctors in Colorado Springs are using a new blood test for possible brain injuries that can save patients time and money. Photo: Getty Images."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/er-blood-test-for-brain-injuries\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Colorado Springs ERs are first in the state to use a new 15-minute blood test to check for brain injuries"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/d2654b7af79d7cee33cf7bbfeb9d40aa","name":"Joanna Bean","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/83a0cf56327c5a19f2e7f6fa78ee066ab3b215efddddef76944398ed6e340216?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/83a0cf56327c5a19f2e7f6fa78ee066ab3b215efddddef76944398ed6e340216?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/83a0cf56327c5a19f2e7f6fa78ee066ab3b215efddddef76944398ed6e340216?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Joanna Bean"},"description":"Joanna Bean is a writer for UCHealth Today. As the daughter of a Denver physician, she grew up hearing about the lifesaving power of medicine and the providers who care for patients. She loves meeting people and sharing their stories. Before joining UCHealth in 2025, Joanna worked as an award-winning reporter and editor-in-chief of The Colorado Springs Gazette. She also worked in communications roles at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, where she earned a Master of Public Administration degree. Joanna is a longtime resident of Colorado Springs and loves spending time in southern Colorado skiing, hiking, camping and biking \u2013 including on a tandem bike she rides with her husband.","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/jbean\/"}]}},"coauthors":[{"id":2418,"name":"Joanna Bean","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/jbean\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2418"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93153"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93258,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93153\/revisions\/93258"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}