Oct 28 : Scientists have developed a simple blood test that could diagnose within minutes whether or not a patient has suffered a stroke.

A stroke occurs when the brain is not getting enough oxygen, either from a clot or a burst blood vessel. In each type, if the wrong treatment is given it can be fatal to the patient.

In order to determine if the patient has suffered a stroke, doctors rely on brain scans but many have to wait vital hours before they can get access to a scanner and fewer than a quarter receive a scan on the day they suffer their strokes.

However, test results for the protein “markers” that are formed in the blood after a patient suffers a stroke will soon be obtainable in less than an hour, say researchers.

‘Proteome Sciences’, the company that developed the test, is working in collaboration with diagnostic companies to produce a kit that could even be used in ambulances.

“We hope to have a test on the market within two years… It is often not possible for a patient to get a scan quickly enough. This lost time can mean the difference between a patient recovering fully and not,” the Telegraph quoted Christopher Pearce, the company’s chief executive, as saying. (ANI)