Methods for assessing a condition by analyzing blood in cerebrospinal fluid

A point-of-care method for diagnosing a subarachnoid hemorrhage, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) obtaining a cerebrospinal fluid sample comprising at least one analyte from an individual suspected of having a subarachnoid hemorrhage;
• (b) analyzing the cerebrospinal fluid sample by a spectrophotometer which scans an entire spectral wavelength range of from about 350 nm to about 650 nm and determines absorption data of at least one analyte in the sample over the entire spectral wavelength range;
• (c) determining a concentration of at least one analyte in the sample by applying a mathematical algorithm to the absorption data over the entire spectral wavelength range of step (b);
• and
• (d) determining at the point-of-care of the individual whether the individual is suffering from a subarachnoid hemorrhage based on the concentration of at least one analyte determined in step (c), wherein the concentration of at least one analyte may be determined in the presence of one or more additional proteins in the sample.