Measurement of XXXX for risk classification of victims sustaining @entity542 --first pilot study in Brazil.

@entity1 @entity542 @entity4483 @entity1504 @entity528 @entity130
BACKGROUND: Release of the neuronal protein @entity4483 into the circulation has been suggested as a specific indication of @entity528 . The hypothesis that @entity4483 is a useful and cost-effective screening tool for the management of minor @entity542 was tested. METHODS: Fifty consecutive @entity1 sustaining isolated @entity542 were prospectively evaluated in the emergency room of a Brazilian hospital by routine cranial computed tomography scan. Venous blood samples (processed to serum) were assayed for @entity4483 using a newly developed immunoassay test kit. Twenty-one normal healthy individuals served as negative controls. Data are presented as median and 25 to 75 percentiles. RESULTS: @entity1 reached the emergency room an average of 45 minutes (range: 30-62 minutes) after @entity542 . Six of 50 @entity1 (12%) showed relevant posttraumatic lesions in the initial cranial computed tomography scan and were counted as positive. The median systemic concentration of @entity4483 in those @entity1 was 0.75 microg/L (range: 0.66-6.5 microg/L), which was significantly different (U-test, P < .05) from the median concentration of 0.26 microg/L (range: 0.12-0.65 microg/L), of @entity1 without posttraumatic lesions as counted by the cranial computed tomography. A sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 20%, a positive predictive value of 15%, and a negative predictive value of 100% was calculated for the detection of @entity1 suffering from @entity1504 . CONCLUSIONS: Protein @entity4483 had a very high sensitivity and negative predictive value and could have an important role in ruling out the need for cranial computed tomography scan after @entity542 . This appears to be of substantial clinical relevance, particularly in countries where @entity130 incidence is high and medical resources are limited, such as in Brazil.
