Traumatic brain injury in the United States: A public health perspective

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability amo ng persons in the United States. Each year, an estimated 1.5 million,Americ ans sustain a TBI. As a result of these injuries, 50,000 people die, 230,00 0 people are hospitalized and sun ive, and an estimated 80,000-90,000 peopl e experience the onset of long-term disability. Rates of TBI-related hospit alization have declined nearly 50% since 1980, a phenomenon that may be att ributed, in part, to successes in injury prevention and also to changes in hospital admission practices that shift the care of persons with less sever e TBI from inpatient to outpatient settings. The magnitude of TBI in the Un ited States requires public health measures to prevent these injuries and t o improve their consequences. State surveillance systems can provide reliab le data on injury causes and risk factors, identify trends in TBI incidence , enable the development of cause-specific prevention strategies focused on populations at greatest risk, and monitor the effectiveness of such progra ms. State follow-up registries, built on surveillance systems, can provide more information regarding the frequency and nature of disabilities associa ted with TBI. This information can help states and communities to design, i mplement, and evaluate cost-effective programs for people living with TBI a nd for their families, addressing acute care, rehabilitation, and vocationa l, school, and community support.