Evaluation of S100B in the diagnosis of suspected intracranial hemorrhage after minor head injury in patients who are receiving platelet aggregation inhibitors and in patients 65 years of age and older

OBJECT Cranial CT (CCT) scans and hospital admission are increasingly performed to rule out intracranial hemorrhage in patients after minor head injury (MHI), particularly in older patients and in those receiving antiplatelet therapy. This leads to high radiation exposure and a growing financial burden. The aim of this study was to determine whether the astroglial-derived protein S100B that is released into blood can be used as a reliable negative predictive tool for intracranial bleeding in patients after MHI, when they are older than 65 years or being treated with antiplatelet drugs (low-dose aspirin, clopidogrel). METHODS The authors conducted a prospective observational study in 2 trauma hospitals. A total of 782 patients with MHI (Glasgow Coma Scale Score 13–15) who were on medication with platelet aggregation inhibitors (PAIs) or were age 65 years and older, independent of antiplatelet therapy, were included. Clinical examination, bloodwork, observation, and CCT were performed in the traumatology em...