Neurotrauma faculty physicians in the Department of Neurological Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine, in partnership with IU Health, are part of one of the most advanced neurocritical care teams in the state of Indiana. No one expects to suffer brain or spine trauma. Yet, each year, hundreds of adults and children are injured and rushed to an Indiana trauma center. This team of neurosurgeons assess a patient’s injury and creates a plan of care that mobilizes a team of specialists to treat complex brain and spinal cord injuries at IU Health Methodist Hospital, one of three Level 1 adult trauma centers in the state, and at hospitals across Indianapolis. Neurosurgeons at IU School of Medicine consult on more than 1,500 patients each year for trauma. This commonly includes patients with traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injuries.
Department of Defense TBI Study
IU School of Medicine is part of a multicenter clinical trial, funded by the Department of Defense, to study the effects of traumatic brain injury. The trial is part of TRACK-TBI, a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke funded initiative. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the clinical performance of the i-STAT TBI test. This plasma test determines the need for a CT scan in patients 18 years of age or older who are presenting with suspected mild traumatic brain injury. The study also collects data and specimens that may support other purposes related to the understanding of traumatic brain injury.
Neuro-critical Care Fellowship
The department offers a one-year neuro-critical care fellowship, providing high exposure to trauma and neurovascular disorders, including aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage. The neurocritical care unit is managed collaboratively between neurosurgeons, critical care physicians and trauma/critical care surgeons. Participating fellows have significant opportunities for clinical research.
