title: Incidence of hospital-treated traumatic brain injury in an Australian community.
abstract: This paper reports findings from an incidence study of head trauma in a defined population. In the North Coast Health Region of NSW, 1,259 subjects with head trauma were admitted to hospitals in a 12-month period in 1988. Direct examination of the medical records confirmed brain injury in only 413 of these cases, corresponding to an annual incidence of approximately 100/100,000 resident population. Although most injuries (62.2%) were mild, 38% were serious (either moderate, 20.3%, or severe, 13.6%; and 3.9% died after admission to hospital). Severe brain injury represented an annual incidence of 12/100,000 resident population. Road traffic accidents accounted for a higher proportion of injuries in the severe group in comparison with the other injury groups. Methodological issues involved in case ascertainment of brain injury are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW. robynt@psych.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Tate
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lulham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012494:Sampling Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate