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Objective S100B is viewed as the most promising biomarkerfor brain damage. It has been proposed that thismarker is useful in a Neurointensive Care Unit (NICU) as amonitoring parameter. This study aims to examine theclinical usefulness of daily serum S100B measurements inthis setting.Design Prospective consecutive inclusion of patients.Patients A total of 79 patients with confirmed or suspectedhead injury or cerebrovascular insults (CVIs) (basedupon patient history, computed tomography (CT) and/ormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurologicalexamination including coma scoring) who required neurointensivecare were included in the study.Interventions Sampling for S100B was performed atadmission and daily until patients were discharged from theNICU. S100B measurements were statistically compared tooccurrence of secondary complications and outcomeaccording to Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), with focuson clinical prediction.Measurements and main results 17 of 79 patients (22%)had secondary neurological complications. Mean S100Blevels were found to be an independent parameterassociated with these complications (P = 0.03). MeanS100B levels were higher in patients with complicationscompared to those without on both the complication day(P = 0.033) and the day after (P = 0.015), but not the dayprior to the complication (P = 0.62). S100B did not predictsecondary neurological complication. Neither mean(P = 0.182) nor peak (P = 0.370) S100B levels wereassociated with or predicted outcome according to dichotomisedGOS.Conclusion Daily S100B measurements are associatedwith secondary complications but not to outcome. However,daily S100B levels do not predict secondary complications,which limit the usefulness of this brainbiomarker in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]