Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

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Risk Factors

TBI occurs twice as often in men as in women. Populations at a higher risk include:

• Individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 years
• Individuals age 75 and older

Half of all traumatic brain injuries involve alcohol use, either by the victim or the person causing the injury.

Children age five and younger are also at a higher-than-average risk. According to the National Pediatric Trauma Registry, more than 30,000 children are permanently disabled each year as a result of brain injuries. The greatest risk occurs from midafternoon to early evening, and during weekends and the summer months. Children are especially at risk after school. Nearly half (42.6%) of all children's injuries occur in roads, 34.3% occur at home and 6.6% occur in recreation areas.

Causes

The three most common causes of TBI are the following:

• Motor vehicle, bicycle, or vehicle-pedestrian mishaps (more than 50%)
• Falls (approximately 25%)
• Violence (nearly 20%)

Vehicle-related injuries involve people of all ages. Falls are most common among the elderly and the very young. Alcohol and medication use are common contributing factors in falls. Gunshot wounds account for a small proportion of TBIs (10%), but a high percentage of related fatalities (44%). Nine out of ten people who incur TBI from a firearm die.

Domestic abuse (including shaken baby syndrome) and sports injuries are common causes of TBI. Approximately 3% of all hospitalizations for TBI are incurred while playing sports. Most sports-related TBI are relatively minor and therefore go unreported.

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