International epidemiological description of traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Introduction: Traumatic Brain Injury is a brain injury resulting from a blow, shake or penetrating injury, and is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with an economic cost of approximately 400 billion dollars annually. It affects people of all ages and can cause long-term consequences such as dementia and epilepsy, even in mild cases. The incidence of Traumatic Brain Injury varies according to geographical, cultural and socioeconomic factors. Objectives: This study aims to analyze the global epidemiology of Traumatic Brain Injury, collecting data from various research and population studies. Methodology: A descriptive approach is used, based on studies with the CIE-10 code S06.9 on unspecified intracranial trauma, collecting information from the PubMed database using MeSH criteria “brain injury, traumatic/epidemiology”. Results: These data show that the incidence of Traumatic Brain Injury is higher in high-income countries due to population aging, but in low- and middle-income countries, traffic accidents are the main cause. The prevalence is highest in Europe and North America, and lowest in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. In the United States, the incidence is 1.7 million cases per year. Mortality rates vary, averaging 11.7 per 100.000 inhabitants in Europe. Furthermore, causal mechanisms, such as falls and traffic accidents, and mortality rates vary by region. Conclusion: At-risk populations can be identified by region, and while international data is available, it can be very heterogeneous, making it difficult to analyze them as a whole.