Over a third of stroke patients recover with minimal or no impairments, and early intervention is the key to achieving that. Now, people who have had a stroke may soon be in a better position to get the care they need, when they need it, thanks to a new rapid blood test that can help diagnose medical emergencies in less than six hours.
“We have developed a game-changing, accessible tool,” Joshua Bernstock, a senior author of the new study detailing the test, said in a press release.
Here’s how it works: The test combines blood-based biomarkers with a clinical score to identify patients experiencing large vessel occlusion stroke, or LVO — a severe stroke that occurs when an artery in the brain is blocked. In this situation, a mechanical thrombectomy is one of the most effective surgical procedures to remove the blockage and put patients on a path to recovery. But the time window makes a difference.
“In stroke care, time is brain,” Bernstock explained, adding, “The earlier this intervention is enacted, the better the patient’s outcome will be.” The new test was found to detect LVO strokes within six hours from symptom onset with over 90% specificity, an innovation that could help save lives and boost rehabilitation. Click here to learn the signs of a stroke.
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