S100 Biomarker in the Acute Management of Mild Head Injuries
S100 Biomarker in the Acute Management of Mild Head Injuries
A prospective validation study of the "Scandinavian guidelines for initial management of
 minimal, mild and moderate head injuries in adults". Enrolling a consecutive sample of 1000
 adult head injury patients from the emergency department of the Tampere University Hospital
 (Tampere, Finland). A venous blood sample with S100 analytics (+storage blood) is drawn from
 every patient. The patients are head CT-scanned according to the SNC guidelines. Outcome
 assessment (GOSE, MRS, Rivermead PCS Questionnaire) is completed as follows: 1 week, 6
 months, 1 year, and 2 years.
A prospective clinical head injury study conducted at the Emergency Department of the Tampere
 University Hospital, which is situated in Tampere, Finland. The hospital takes care of an
 catchment area of 524 447 inhabitants both from urban and rural areas. About 100 000 patients
 are treated in the Emergency department annually.

 The study aims to improve the emergency evaluation of patients with an acute head injury,
 especially a mild head injury. About 80% of head CT scan performed on head injury patients in
 the Emergency Department of the Tampere University Hospital are negative (= no acute
 traumatic lesion). There is an urgent need to update the head CT imaging criteria/indications
 in the context of acute head injury in order to reduce the number of unnecessary scanning.
 More selective head CT indications result in considerable health care savings and decreased
 exposure to ionizing radiation, among other benefits.

 In this study, the investigators implement the "Scandinavian guidelines for initial
 management of minimal, mild and moderate head injuries in adults" criteria as part of the
 emergency care of adults head injury patients. By enrolling a large consecutive sample of
 patients the investigators are validating this new guideline. Emergency department assessment
 data is combined with long-term outcome parameters and blood-based biomarkers of neurotrauma.

 The main aims of the study are:

 1. the validation of the Scandinavian guidelines for initial management of minimal, mild
 and moderate head injuries in adults

 2. the examination of novel blood-based biomarkers of acute brain injury that correlate
 with the radiological severity of the injury and the long-term outcome
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Head injury

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Age under 18 years