Epidemiology of head injury in a tertiary care hospital in south India

Abstract

Introduction: The annual incidence of traumatic brain injury is around 28-70 million in the world which causes morbidity and mortality. In India, around 1 million suffer from severe head injury and the mortality rate is around 1 lakh per year. As time progresses there is an observable increase in rates of Head injuries. This study focuses on the epidemiology of traumatic head injury in a tertiary care centre (Madras Medical College, Chennai- India) Materials and methods: This study is a prospective study covering all head injury cases admitted from January 2022 – December 2022 in our tertiary care centre. These patients are treated according to the protocol of the Institute of Neurosurgery. This study covers the management, discharge and follow-up of these patients. Results: The total number of patients admitted with head injuries from January 2022 to December 2022 was 2061. Among them, RTA tops head injury mortality and morbidity. Among RTA, Two-wheeler-associated injuries were most common. Drunken driving, and not wearing helmets and protective gear played a vital role in head injuries. Conclusion: Primary prevention can be the key to reducing the national burden of head injuries.