MotoAmerica’s PR agency, The Brand Amp, sent this to Roadracing World this morning:
“The future of concussion safety at live sports events is here. This season, MotoAmerica, a leader in motorcycle racing, will become the first sports organization in the world to implement Abbott’s groundbreaking concussion blood test onsite.
“Building on its already comprehensive safety measures, MotoAmerica’s medical team will now utilize Abbott’s portable testing instrument for rapid TBI blood tests, providing a more objective way to assess concussions onsite.
“For decades, the standard of care for concussions has focused on subjective examinations, but Abbott’s cutting-edge technology can help rule out the need for a head CT scan and inform immediate care decisions within just 15 minutes.
“Safety is a cornerstone for MotoAmerica, reflected in:
“Advanced Protective Gear: Riders utilize cutting-edge equipment, including airbag clothing, full protective leather suits, rigorously tested helmets, and armor like back protectors, boots, and gloves.
“Track Safety Measures: Tracks are equipped with air fences (inflated, collapsible walls) and a dedicated safety car with medical staff. [Editorial note: MotoAmerica uses energy-absorbing soft barriers made by Airfence and Alpina, which function as pre-inflated airbags placed in front of walls and other hard objects a crashed rider may hit. The soft barriers used by MotoAmerica are provided by the non-profit Roadracing World Action Fund.]
“This initiative represents a significant step forward in concussion management for athletes, but also anyone who may be at risk and need concussion evaluation outside of a hospital.”
After receiving the email, Roadracing World contacted MotoAmerica Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carl Price, (an MD and a licensed racer) who expanded on the new test:
“Concussion is a clinical diagnosis made by a physician, not a cornerworker or an EMT or a physical therapist,” Dr. Price said. “Concussion is a constellation of symptoms and is a subjective diagnosis made by a doctor.
“This blood test is first little bit of objective information we have, and it is a game changer. There are two bio markers that are elevated after a concussion. As of April Abbott released the test, which is a lab on a chip; put a drop of blood on the chip and plug it in and it analyzes and kicks out the results in about 15 minutes. It’s approved by the FDA to help determine if a CT scan is needed; a CT scan can rule out more significant problems. The test helps triage patients.
“It helps diagnose a concussion. At a Daytona flat-track race, a rider crashed and EMTs said he had a concussion. We tested his blood and he had no concussion and he was able to race the next day. Before, the current protocol was that a rider with a concussion had to sit out the rest of the weekend, but that was not objective. This test is the first objective and not subjective test.
“I’m not trying to keep people off the track; I’m trying to get people back out there, performing at their best, while making sure that when their career is over they have enough brain cells to have a life.”
Read more about Dr. Carl Price here: