Head and traumatic brain injuries among Australian children, July 2000-June 2006.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the rates of hospitalisation for head and traumatic brain injury among Australian children aged 0-14 years.


METHODS
Descriptive analysis of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Hospital Morbidity Database, using data for the period 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2006.


RESULTS
The rate of hospitalisation for head injury was 395.9 per 100,000 (95% CI 393.4 to 398.4), with 47.6 per 100,000 (95% CI 46.7 to 48.5) being high-threat-to-life injuries. In multivariate analysis, those aged 0-4 years had 1.8 times the rate of head injury of 10-14-year-olds, while boys had 1.7 times the rate of girls. Children living in very remote and remote areas had a 1.3-1.5-fold greater rate of head injury, and a 1.6-1.8-fold greater rate of injuries that were high threat to life, than city-dwelling children. The rate of traumatic brain injury (TBI) was 91.1 per 100,000 (95% CI 89.9 to 92.3), with 34.7 per 100,000 (95% CI 33.9 to 35.4) being high-threat-to-life injuries. In multivariate analysis, children aged 0-4 years had 0.8 times the rate of 10-14-year-olds, and boys had 1.9 times the rate of girls. Children living in the very remote and remote areas had a 1.9-2.8-fold greater rate of TBI, and a 1.5-1.7-fold greater rate of injuries that were high threat to life, than city-dwelling children.


CONCLUSIONS
Children living remotely were disproportionately represented among those sustaining head injuries. Almost a quarter of head injuries were TBI.
Berry
Jesia G
JG
Research Centre for Injury Studies, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Jamieson
Lisa M
LM
Harrison
James E
JE
D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D017678:Sex Distribution