Erythropoietin in Traumatic Brain Injury: An Answer Will Come Soon

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. It is estimated that each year TBIs are associated with 1.1 million emergency department visits, 235,000 hospitalizations, and 50,000 deaths (1). Despite improvements in medical interventions, there are still no neuroprotective agents available to counteract secondary or delayed damage to the traumatically injured human brain or to promote its repair. TBI encompasses heterogeneous etiologic, anatomical, and molecular patterns of injury that exhibit different propensities to cause cerebral damage. Without careful consideration of individual injuries, the results of therapeutic trials remain difficult to interpret.