Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: A Public Health Perspective

TLDR

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States, affecting about 1.5 million people annually, resulting in roughly 50 000 deaths, 230 000 hospitalizations, and 80 000–90 000 new long‑term disabilities, while hospitalization rates have fallen by nearly 50 % since 1980 due to prevention efforts and shifts to outpatient care. The scale of TBI underscores the need for public‑health interventions to prevent injuries and mitigate their consequences. State surveillance systems collect reliable data on injury causes, risk factors, and incidence trends, enabling targeted prevention strategies and evaluation of program effectiveness, while follow‑up registries extend this information to the frequency and nature of post‑injury disabilities. These data empower states and communities to design, implement, and assess cost‑effective programs that support TBI survivors and their families across acute care, rehabilitation, vocational, educational, and community settings.

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability among persons in the United States. Each year, an estimated 1.5 million Americans sustain a TBI. As a result of these injuries, 50,000 people die, 230,000 people are hospitalized and survive, and an estimated 80,000-90,000 people experience the onset of long-term disability. Rates of TBI-related hospitalization have declined nearly 50% since 1980, a phenomenon that may be attributed, in part, to successes in injury prevention and also to changes in hospital admission practices that shift the care of persons with less severe TBI from inpatient to outpatient settings. The magnitude of TBI in the United States requires public health measures to prevent these injuries and to improve their consequences. State surveillance systems can provide reliable data on injury causes and risk factors, identify trends in TBI incidence, enable the development of cause-specific prevention strategies focused on populations at greatest risk, and monitor the effectiveness of such programs. State follow-up registries, built on surveillance systems, can provide more information regarding the frequency and nature of disabilities associated with TBI. This information can help states and communities to design, implement, and evaluate cost-effective programs for people living with TBI and for their families, addressing acute care, rehabilitation, and vocational, school, and community support.