©2004/5 Eugenia Uhl
The Numbers
- Of the 1.4 million people who sustain a traumatic brain injury every year in the United State:
- 50,000 die
- 235,000 are hospitalized; and
- 1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency department.i (CDC)
- Approximately 475,000 Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) occur yearly in the United States among children age 0 to 14. ii
- Annually more than 80,000 individuals are left with life long disabilities from TBI. ͥ ͥ
- An estimated 5.3 million people in the United States are suffering from the results of a traumatic brain injury and need help in daily living. iii
- Moderate & severe head injury (respectively) are associated with a 2.3 and 4.5 times increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease iv
- An estimated 5.3 million people in the United States are suffering from the results of a traumatic brain injury and need help in daily living. v
High Risk Groups
- Age groups with the highest risks for TBI are 0 to 4 year olds and 15 to 19 year olds ͥ
- Males are 1.5 times more likely to sustain an TBI than females ͥ
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in children and adults from ages 1 to 44. ͥ ͮ
- African Americans have the highest death rate from TBIs ͥ
- Moderate & severe head injury (respectively) are associated with a 2.3 and 4.5 times increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease ͥ ͮ
- Those 75 or older have the highest rate of hospitalization and death from traumatic brain injuries. ͥ
Costs of TBIs
- Direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity of TBI are $60 billion per year. vi
- Lifetime costs to treat someone with a TBI are estimated to be between $600,000 to $1.8 million. ͥ ͥ
Causes of TBIs
- Leading Causes
Falls: 28 percent - Traffic Accidents: 20 percent
- Collisions: With stationary or moving objects -- 19 percent
- Assaults: 11 percent
- Unknown: 9 percent
- Other: 7 percent
- Non-motorized Cycles: 3 percent ͥ
The Most Common Causes of Acquired Brain Injuries
- Oxygen depravation (obstructed airway, near-drowning, complications arising during birth, asthma, injury to chest and lungs)
- Vascular Disruption (Heart attack, stroke, arteriovenous malformation (AVM), aneurysm, intracranial surgery)
- Brain Tumor
- Electrocution (lightening or electrical shock)
- Degenerative diseases (Alzheimer, Parkinson's)
- Autoimmune diseases ( Multiple Sclerosis)
- Infectious disease (Meningitis, certain venereal diseases, AIDS, viruses, insect-carried diseases)
- Metabolic disorders
- Eating Disorders (anorexia)
- Hypo/hyperglycemia,
- Seizures
- Hepatic encephalitis and uremic encephalitis
- Poisoning vii
The following 20 sports/recreational activities represent the categories contributing to the highest number of estimated head injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2007.
Cycling: 64,993
Football: 36,412
Baseball and Softball: 25,079
Basketball: 24,701
Powered Recreational Vehicles (ATVs, Dune Buggies, Go-Carts, Mini bikes, Off-road): 24,090
Skateboards/Scooters (Powered): 18,542
Soccer: 17,108
Skateboards/Scooters: 16,477
Winter Sports (Skiing, Sledding, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling): 16,120
Water Sports (Diving, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Swimming, Water Polo, Water Skiing): 12,096
Horseback Riding: 11,759
Health Club (Exercise, Weightlifting): 11,550
Golf: 8,417
Trampolines: 7,075
Hockey: 5,483
Gymnastics/Dance/Cheerleading: 5,459
Ice Skating: 3,703
Fishing: 3,560
Rugby/Lacrosse: 3,281
Wrestling: 2,640
The top 10 head injury categories among children ages 14 and younger:
Cycling: 32,899
Football: 17,441
Baseball and Softball: 13,508
Skateboards/Scooters (Powered): 11,848
Basketball: 10,844
Skateboards/Scooters: 10,256
Winter Sports: 7.546
Powered Recreational Vehicles: 7,460
Water Sports: 6,498
Trampolines: 6,360
Winter Sports: 4,874viii
Military TBIs
- Blasts are a leading cause of TBI among active duty military personnel in war zones ͥ ͮ
- Veterans' advocates believe that between 10 and 20% of Iraq veterans, or 150,000 and 300,000 service members, have some level of TBI. ix
- 30% of soldiers admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center have suffered traumatic brain injuries x
- 10% of combat troops — and 20% in front-line infantry units — suffered concussions during their tours. The injuries frequently go undiagnosed; multiple concussions can lead to permanent brain damage. xi
i Langlois JA, Rutland-Brown W, Thomas KE. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2004.
ii “American Speech-Language-Hearing Association” http://www.asha.org/about/news/tbievent/statistics.htm, January 28, 2009
iii Thurman D, Alverson C, Dunn K, Guerrero J, Sniezek J. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: a public health perspective. Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation 1999;14(6):602–15.
iv Langlois, J. ScD, MPH; Rutland-Brown, W. MPH; Wald, M. MLS, MPH; The Epidemiology and Impact of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Brief Overview; Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 375378 2006
v Thurman D, Alverson C, Dunn K, Guerrero J, Sniezek J. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: a public health perspective. Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation 1999;14(6):602–15.
vi Finkelstein E, Corso P, Miller T and associates. The Incidence and Economic Burden of Injuries in the United States. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; 2006.
vii “Brain Injury Resource Foundation”, Wednesday, September 17, 2008, http://www.birf.info/home/about/faq-abi-causes.html, January 28, 2009
viii “Neurosurgery Today”, July 2006, http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_e/sports.asp?ShowMenu=false&ShowPrint=false, January 28, 2009
ix Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America
x Emery, Erin; Hidden wounds plague GIs, Denver Post; April 16,2007.
xi Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY, “Pentagon holds brain injury data”, June 8, 2006
