Abstract
This study was conducted on patients of head injury admitted through Accident & Emergency Department of Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences during the year 2004 to determine the number of head injury patients, nature of head injuries, condition at presentation, treatment given in hospital and the outcome of intervention. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) deaths were also studied retrospectively for a period of eight years (1996 to 2003).The traumatic brain injury deaths showed a steady increase in number from year 1996 to 2003 except for 1999 that showed decline in TBI deaths. TBI deaths were highest in age group of 21–30 years (18.8%), followed by 11–20 years age group (17.8%) and 31–40 years (14.3%). The TBI death was more common in males. Maximum number of traumatic brain injury deaths was from rural areas as compared to urban areas.To minimize the morbidity and mortality resulting from head injury there is a need for better maintenance of roads, improvement of road visibility and lighting, proper mechanical maintenance of automobile and other vehicles, rigid enforcement of traffic rules, compulsory wearing of crash helmets by motor cyclist and scooterists and shoulder belt in cars and imparting compulsory road safety education to school children from primary education level. Moreover, appropriate medical care facilities (including trauma centres) need to be established at district level, sub-divisional and block levels to provide prompt and quality care to head injury patients
Highlights
Head injury is considered as a major health problem that is a frequent cause of death and disability and makes considerable demands on health services
Patients of head injury reporting to Accident & Emergency Department of SKIMS for a period of one year (January 2004 to December 2004) were selected by random sampling method taking sample size of 14%, i.e. one day was selected for study in a week which amounted to 52 days in year
The Prospective study included 3861 patients with head injury reporting to the Accident and Emergency Department of SKIMS, from January to December 2004, to determine the condition of patients at the time of presentation based on Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), morbidity and mortality, population at greater risk and leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Summary
Head injury is considered as a major health problem that is a frequent cause of death and disability and makes considerable demands on health services. Traumatic brain Injury is a leading cause of mortality in patients younger than 45 years accounting for more than a third of all injury related deaths in United States. Brain injury is the most common cause of death in trauma victims accounting for about half of deaths at the accident site. Of patients who require long term rehabilitation, head trauma is usually the primary injury. This data is generally applicable to children as well. Head injuries are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood trauma victims, accounting for an annual mortality rate of 1 per 1000 in this age group [6]. Compulsory wearing of protective devices e.g. helmets and automatic shoulder belts, in cars etc have reduced the incidence and degree of serious Research and epidemiological data are required to initiate appropriate preventive measures and to plan necessary services
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