Cause Of Traumatic Brain Injury: New York City : Brooklyn : Bronx : Staten Island : Queens : Manhatten

Cause Of Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from “mild,” i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to “severe,” i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury.

How many people have TBI?

TBIs contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability annually.

Of the 1.4 million who sustain a TBI each year in the United States:

50,000 die

235,000 are hospitalized

1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency department

Among children ages 0 to 14 years, TBI results in an estimated:

2,685 death

37,000 hospitalizations

435,000 emergency department visits annually

The number of people with TBI who are not seen in an emergency department or who receive no care is unknown.

What causes TBI?

Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States:
Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths

The leading causes of TBI are:

Falls (28%)

Motor vehicle-traffic crashes (20%)

Struck by/against events (19%)

Assaults (11%)