Researchers from the University of Cincinnati are behind a startup that’s developing a medical device to help emergency doctors diagnose a severe type of headache that could be a warning sign for stroke.
Xanthostat Diagnostics’ device would analyze cerebral spinal fluid to determine if patients are suffering from sentinel subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a painful headache that can signal a stroke. If undiagnosed — or even sometimes when they’re diagnosed — these major hemorrhagic strokes can lead to death.
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Each year, roughly 1 million patients show up in emergency rooms with symptoms such as severe headache, nausea and dizziness. Emergency doctors must then determine the patient’s medical issue from among the three most likely: severe headache, meningitis or SAH, according to the University of Cincinnati (UC).
“While there are only about 30,000 cases of SAH in the U.S. annually, the significant chance for the catastrophic or even fatal outcome that can result from misdiagnosis of these million patients annually make this one of the most important diagnostic decisions faced by emergency room physicians,” said Fred Beyette Jr., a UC professor and member of the Xanthostat team.
Doctors typically perform a spinal tap to obtain cerebral spinal fluid that is then subjected to a chemical assay to diagnose SAH. The problem with the chemical assay is that it takes several hours to deliver results and the presence of blood in the spinal fluid sample decreases the test’s accuracy.
Visual inspection of spinal fluid by physicians is another option, but that can be imprecise and is also subject to inaccuracy.
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Xanthostat’s test would be an improvement on current practices because it delivers results faster and isn’t as susceptible to accuracy problems caused by blood, according to UC.
UC received a patent on Xanthostat’s core technology last year. The company has transitioned its diagnostic technology from a research-based proof-of-concept to a functional prototype.
Beyette and a UC spokeswoman didn’t respond to inquiries.
[Photo from flickr user Sarah G]