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Background on Traumatic Brain Injury

According to The Brain Injury Association of America, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of such an injury may range from “mild,” ie, a brief change in mental status or consciousness to “severe,” ie, an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. A TBI can result in short- or long-term problems with independent function.

Brain Injury Facts

  • 1.4 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the United States each year; 50,000 die, 235,000 are hospitalized, and an additional 1.1 million are treated by an emergency department (Centers for Disease Control - CDC ).
  • A brain injury occurs every 23 seconds in the U.S. (BIA-USA, 2006).
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is more prevalent in the U.S. than breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injuries (CDC, 2006).
  • 5.3 million Americans are currently living with disabilities resulting from TBI, and 80,000-90,000 join their ranks each year (CDC).
  • Brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability for people between the ages of 15 and 24 (CDC).
  • The cost of TBI in the U.S. is estimated to be $60 billion each year (CDC).
  • Falls and vehicle crashes are the leading causes of brain injury.
  • Every year more than 37,000 Massachusetts residents go to the emergency room, because of a brain injury (Massachusetts Department of Public Health Report, 2006).

What are the leading causes of TBI?

  • Falls (28%)
  • Motor vehicle/traffic accidents (20%)
  • Struck by/against (19%)
  • Assaults (11%)

    For active-duty military personnel in war zones, blasts are also a leading cause of TBI. Certain military duties (eg, paratrooper) increase the risk of sustaining a TBI.

Who is at highest risk of TBI?

  • Males are about 1.5 times as likely as females to sustain a TBI.
  • The two age groups at highest risk of TBI are children from birth to 4 years old and adolescents 15-19 years old.
  • Military personnel
  • African Americans have the highest death rate from TBI.

What are the long-term consequences of TBI?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 5.3 million Americans currently have a long-term or lifelong need for help to perform activities of daily living as a result of TBI. According to one study, about 40% of those hospitalized with TBI had at least one unmet need for services one year after their injury. The most frequent unmet needs were:

  • Improving memory and problem solving
  • Managing stress and emotional upsets
  • Controlling one’s temper
  • Improving one’s job skills

Prevention is the only Cure

  • Seat belts are 57 percent effective in preventing traumatic and fatal brain injuries
  • Properly fitted helmets reduce the risk of brain injuries by 88 percent
  • Over half of all brain injuries are related to alcohol and drug abuse
  • More than one-third of teen driver fatalities involve speeding.

Fact Sheet on Helmet Safety

  • Head injuries suffered as a result of not wearing a helmet cause three-quarters of about 900 bicycle deaths each year (National Highway Transportation Safety Association, 2006).
  • Properly fitted bike helmets could reduce the risk of bike-related brain injuries by 88% (Center for Disease Control, 2006).
  • Bike helmets could prevent an estimated 75% of bike-related fatalities and 45,000 head injuries to children each year (Center for Disease Control, 2006).
  • Only 1 out of 5 cyclists, ages 5 to 14, regularly wears a helmet (Center for Disease Control, 2006).
  • Greater than 75% of persons treated in emergency departments for bicycle-related head injury are less than 15 years of age. (Center for Disease Control, 2006).
  • 1 in 8 of the cyclists with reported injuries has a brain injury (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, 2006).


Direct costs of cyclists' injuries due to not using helmets are estimated at $81 million each year

(Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, 2006).

IT’S “UNTHINKABLE” NOT TO WEAR A HELMET

 

  
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