Epidemiology of emergency department-treated traumatic brain injury in Minnesota

A number of population-based studies have been published on mortality and hospitalizations associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, very little has been published on treatment of TBI in the emergency department (ED), despite the fact that most cases are seen in such settings. Minnesota is 1 of 2 states funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since 2001 to conduct surveillance of TBIs treated in EDs. A sample of medical records from 2002 and 2003 was reviewed to better understand the epidemiology of ED-treated TBI and identify risk factors for and interventions to prevent them. We found males, infants, adolescents and young adults, blacks, and residents of the 7-county Twin Cities metropolitan area were most likely to be seen in the ED for TBI. Sports and recreational activities were the leading causes of these injuries, followed by falls and motor vehicle crashes.