GFAP Use in Emergency Medicine—A Narrative Review

Background

Traditional clinical assessments for neurological emergencies, such as the Glasgow Coma Scale, are often subjective and may be confounded by factors like intoxication or sedation. While computed tomography (CT) remains the diagnostic standard, it may lack sensitivity for mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and pose a risk of radiation exposure. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an intermediate filament protein primarily produced by astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS), has been shown to be a potential objective marker of neuronal distress, even when macrostructural imaging may appear normal.