Incidence and outcome of traumatic brain injury in an urban area in western Europe over 10 years

Introduction: Valid epidemiological data on incidence and outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI) show great variability. A study on incidence, severity and outcome of TBI was conducted in an urban area of one million inhabitants. Materials and Methods: 130,000 prehospital emergencies were screened for TBI. Inclusion criteria: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score <= 8 and/or Abbreviated Injury Scale for head injuries (AIS head) score 6 2 with confirmed TBI via appropriate diagnostics. Results: Annual incidence was 7.3/100,000. Overall mortality rate was 45.8%: 182 (28%) were prehospital deaths, 116 (17.8%) patients died in hospital. Two hundred and fourteen of 352 (60.8%) surviving patients were sufficiently rehabilitated at discharge [Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score = 1], but 138 patients (39.2%) survived with persisting deficits. GOS was associated with initial GCS and AIS head. Conclusion: The incidence of TBI was lower compared to the literature. The overall mortality was high, especially prehospital and early in-hospital mortality rates. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.