A new study has found that if blood tests are taken on the day of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), it can help predict which patients are likely to die or survive with severe disability thus letting clinicians make better decisions earlier about the possible treatment for the injury. 

The findings, published in The Lancet Neurology, revealed that higher values of two protein biomarkers, GFAP and UCH-L1, are associated with death and severe injury.

"Early and accurate prediction of TBI outcomes will help clinicians gauge how severe a brain injury is and inform how best to counsel family members about care for their loved ones with brain injury and what to expect with regards to their recovery," said researcher Frederick Korley from the University of Michigan.