MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is proud to announce that it has become the first professional sports organization globally to use a groundbreaking blood test to help assess riders with suspected concussions on-site at all its events.
The Abbott i-STAT TBI test cartridge used to evaluate patients 18 years of age and older who present with suspected mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), provides results in 15 minutes and may be used up to 24 hours after injury to help determine the need for a CT scan of the head.
In 2024, Abbott’s i-STAT TBI test cartridge received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used with whole blood, allowing doctors to quickly assess patients with suspected concussions at the patient’s side, without sending the sample to a lab.
“As both a neurologist and licensed physician, I know firsthand the limitations of relying on a subjective tool like the Glasgow Coma Scale in the assessment of brain injury,” said Beth McQuiston, M.D., medical director in Abbott’s diagnostics business. “The ability to objectively assess the need for a head CT scan following potential brain injury right at the point of care, whether that be at a hospital bedside or an on-site medical facility at a sporting event, means quick assessment and a quick path to the right treatment.”
“This is the first ever objective test that physicians have had at the point-of-care to assist in the assessment of concussions – it changes the game,” said Carl Price, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for MotoAmerica. “If a crash or fall does happen, the ability to quickly and objectively determine whether or not a rider needs a CT scan or additional evaluation, right there on site, provides us – and our riders – with peace of mind.”
The i-STAT® Alinity® TBI test cartridge, run on the hand-held i-STAT Alinity analyzer will be available for use in on-site medical facilities for all MotoAmerica races across the U.S. during the 2025 season, beginning with round two at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, May 2-4.
“The standard of competition and performance in MotoAmerica continues to increase,” said Chuck Aksland, chief operating officer, MotoAmerica. “Between the riders, the motorcycles, their gear, and now accessibility to the most innovative medical equipment, we continue to push our standards and practices to better protect our racers. Our use of Abbott’s rapid blood test for concussion assessment furthers this commitment and will help us evaluate medical needs quickly and on-site.” According to the National Institutes of Health, traumatic brain injury from accidents or sports is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 2.5 million people visit the emergency department for TBIs every year.
