A simple blood test that could diagnose strokes within 15 minutes is now widely available on the UK ...
A simple blood test that could diagnose strokes within 15 minutes is now widely available on the UK market.
According to a report in New Scientist magazine, the test, developed by US company Biosite, could help doctors to faster identify patients who are having a stroke and treat them. This could in turn reduce the risk of long-term brain damage.
The Triage Stroke Panel is designed to measure multiple biomarkers - substances that mark different biological processes - and thereby indicate on a scale of one to 10 the likelihood that a patient has suffered a stroke.
Dr Daniel Laskowitz, associate professor of neurology and neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, said timing was key when it came to treating stroke.
"Not only is it essential to make an accurate diagnosis, but the diagnosis must be timely. Only a short window of time exists, usually several hours, between the onset of a stroke and the time that brain function is irreversibly damaged," he said.
