Lay summary
Dr Rogan currently works 0.5FTE as an emergency medicine registrar at Wellington Hospital emergency department (ED) and 0.5FTE as a research fellow at the University of Otago, Wellington. She is enrolled on the PhD programme and her thesis aims to investigate the use of blood biomarkers to improve clinical pathways for adult patients who present to ED with traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
TBI are a leading cause of death and disability and common (ED) presentation. TBI incorporates mild (concussion) to severe injuries (brain bleeding or swelling). Doctors must decide who is at risk of more severe injuries and warrant a head CT. This can be difficult, particularly in people with severe concussion or intoxication. This project proposes that blood biomarkers could be used as a screening tool to exclude more severe injuries and support doctor’s decision-making. This could improve care quality, reduce ED workload and lower CT scanning costs.