Neurotraumatological survey in northern Israel. I. Annual and seasonal variations.

Abstract

A descriptive epidemiological study of neurotraumatology was undertaken over a 4.5-year period at a regional hospital with a referral base of 1,200,000 residents with a single neurosurgical department. The 1,370 patients included in this study were those who required neurosurgical evaluation and treatment. The data base consists of demographic, clinical and radiological features at the time of admission, as well as the hospital course through to discharge. Higher admission rates were noted in spring and summer, although the mechanisms of injury showed variations. Some of the yearly variations can be explained, such as a change in rates of admission of soldiers and Lebanese population. A change from the expected outcome related to the Glasgow Coma Scale in one of the years deserves another quality control study. The main advantage of such a study, apart from the creation of data base, is an online guide for the decision-making process of health facility planning.