PET measures how much oxygen a particular part of the brain is using. Patients will be accepted into the study within 12 hours of head injury. Other members of the head-injury care team include interventional neuroradiologists and specially trained respiratory, physical, occupational and speech therapists. In addition, they are placed in the PET scanner on admission, before and after hyperventilation and 24 hours later. A computerized tomography scan also is performed.
Results become immediately available to treating physicians for decision-making.
The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC Health System.