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Reference values for venous and capillary S100B in children
Ramona Astrand1, Bertil Romner, Jan Lanke
1Department of Neurosurgery, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. raastrand@gmail.com
Insights
This study establishes reference values for serum protein S100B in children using both venous and capillary blood. These findings aid in evaluating S100B for managing pediatric mild head injury and reducing unnecessary CT scans.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatric Medicine
- Neurology
Background:
- Current pediatric mild head injury (MHI) guidelines often lead to unnecessary computed tomography (CT) scans and hospital admissions.
- Serum protein S100B shows promise in adults for reducing CT use in mild head injury.
- Capillary blood sampling is a common alternative to venous sampling in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish reference values for serum protein S100B in healthy children.
- To compare S100B levels between venous and capillary blood samples.
- To provide data supporting the potential use of S100B in pediatric mild head injury management.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of neurologically healthy children aged 1-16 undergoing minor surgery.
- Venous blood samples collected pre-sedation; venous and capillary samples collected post-sedation.
- Analysis of serum protein S100B levels in relation to age and gender.
Main Results:
- Serum S100B levels were higher in younger children (aged 1-2) compared to older children (aged 3-14).
- Reference levels established: venous 0.15 μg/L and capillary 0.37 μg/L for children aged 3-14.
- A gender difference in capillary S100B was observed in the youngest age groups.
Conclusions:
- Reference values for venous and capillary S100B in healthy children are presented.
- These values are crucial for future research on pediatric head injury biomarkers.
- S100B may help optimize diagnostic pathways for mild head injury in pediatric populations.
Background:
The current management guidelines for pediatric mild head injury (MHI) liberally recommend computed tomography (CT) and frequent admission. Serum protein S100B, currently used in management of adult head injury, has recently shown potential for reducing unnecessary CT scans after pediatric mild head injury. Capillary sampling in children is commonly used when venous sampling fails or is inappropriate. We present reference values for both venous and capillary samples of protein S100B in children.
Methods:
Neurologically healthy children aged 1-16, scheduled for minor surgery requiring general anesthesia, were prospectively included. Samples for S100B were drawn before (venous) and after (venous and capillary) sedation.
Results:
Serum values of 455 children (255 boys, 200 girls) aged 1-14 were computed. S100B was higher in younger children for both venous (r=-0.32) and capillary samples (r=-0.28). Reference levels for children aged 1 and 2 were significantly higher than for children aged 3-14 years (venous 0.15 μg/L, capillary 0.37 μg/L). For capillary blood, a gender difference was found in the youngest age groups.
Conclusions:
We present reference values for venous and capillary S100B in healthy children. These results can be utilized when considering future studies on pediatric head injury and S100B levels.
