Introduction: Valid epidemiological data on incidence and outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI) show great variability. A study on incidence, severity and outcome of TBI was conducted in an urban area of one million inhabitants. Materials and Methods: 130,000 prehospital emergencies were screened for TBI. Inclusion criteria: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ≤8 and/or Abbreviated Injury Scale for head injuries (AIShead) score ≥2 with confirmed TBI via appropriate diagnostics. Results: Annual incidence was 7.3/100,000. Overall mortality rate was 45.8%: 182 (28%) were prehospital deaths, 116 (17.8%) patients died in hospital. Two hundred and fourteen of 352 (60.8%) surviving patients were sufficiently rehabilitated at discharge [Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score = 1], but 138 patients (39.2%) survived with persisting deficits. GOS was associated with initial GCS and AIShead. Conclusion: The incidence of TBI was lower compared to the literature. The overall mortality was high, especially prehospital and early in-hospital mortality rates. Copyright

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doi.org/10.1159/000107097, hdl.handle.net/1765/35164
European Surgical Research: clinical and experimental surgery
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

Maegele, M., Engel, D. C., Bouillon, B., Lefering, R., Fach, H., Raum, M., … Neugebauer, E. (2007). Incidence and outcome of traumatic brain injury in an urban area in western Europe over 10 years. European Surgical Research: clinical and experimental surgery, 39(6), 372–379. doi:10.1159/000107097