Epidemiology of traumatic brain injury in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To describe the estimates of morbidity and nosocomial mortality for traumatic brain injury (TBI), along with its causes. Methods: This is a descriptive series of hospitalizations in public Brazilian hospitals, with patients with age among 14 and 69 years, during the period of 2001 to 2007. It was selected the total number of hospitalizations for TBI and others diagnoses. It was estimated prevalence rates, and the coefficients of nosocomial mortality and lethality of TBI and the external causes of TBI for each year of jurisdiction. Results: The hospitalizations for TBI concentrated among men (81.50%) aged between 14-34 years (53.00%). The median time of inpatient care was three days, with a total of 52,087 deaths. Falls (35.00%), and traffic accidents (31.00%) were the causes that most contributed to TBI. After exclusion of non-specified lesions, the most frequent diagnoses were the diffuse lesions (36.3%). The prevalence rate and nosocomial lethality remained elevated. Conclusion: It is necessary to establish preventive measures for TBI. The estimates of morbidity and lethality remain high.

Keywords

• craniocerebral trauma
• hospitalization
• morbidity
• mortality
• hospital mortality