The CDC Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance System

TLDR

The growing older population in the United States heightens the urgency of cost‑effective prevention strategies targeting the leading TBI causes—unintentional falls and motor‑vehicle traffic incidents. This study investigates the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of older adults hospitalized with traumatic brain injury. Using 1999 CDC 15‑state TBI surveillance data, the authors analyzed 17,657 hospitalizations among persons aged 65 and older, yielding an age‑adjusted rate of 155.9 per 100,000 population. Rates rose with age and were higher in males; most TBIs stemmed from falls or motor‑vehicle incidents,.

Abstract

To examine the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of older persons (ie, those aged 65-74, 75-84, and > or = 85 years) hospitalized with traumatic brain injury (TBI).Data from the 1999 CDC 15-state TBI surveillance system were analyzed.In 1999, there were 17,657 persons 65 years and older hospitalized with TBI in the 15 states for an age-adjusted rate of 155.9 per 100,000 population. Rates among persons aged 65 years or older increased with age and were higher for males. Most TBIs resulted from fall- or motor vehicle (MV)-traffic-related incidents. Most older persons with TBI had an initial TBI severity of mild (73.4%); however, the proportions of both moderate and severe disability for those discharged alive and of in-hospital mortality were relatively high (23.5%, 9.7%, and 12%, respectively). Persons who fell were also more likely to have had 3 or more comorbid conditions than were those who sustained a TBI from an MV-traffic incident.TBI is a substantial public health problem among older persons. As the population of older persons continues to increase in the United States, the need to design and implement proven and cost-effective prevention measures that focus on the leading causes of TBI (unintentional falls and MV-traffic incidents) becomes more urgent.