Prevalence of long-term disability from traumatic brain injury in the civilian population of the United States, 2005.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of long-term disability associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the civilian population of the United States.


METHODS
We first estimated how many people experienced long-term disability from TBI each year in the past 70 years. Then, accounting for the increased mortality among TBI survivors, we estimated their life expectancy and calculated how many were expected to be alive in 2005.


RESULTS
An estimated 1.1% of the US civilian population or 3.17 million people (95% CI: 3.02-3.32 million) were living with a long-term disability from TBI at the beginning of 2005. Under less conservative assumptions about TBI's impact on lifespan, this estimate is 3.32 million (95% CI: 3.16-3.48 million).


CONCLUSIONS
Substantial long-term disability occurs among the US civilians hospitalized with a TBI.
Zaloshnja
Eduard
E
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Calverton, MD 20705, USA. zaloshnja@pire.org
Miller
Ted
T
Langlois
Jean A
JA
Selassie
Anbesaw W
AW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult