[Occurrence of traumatic brain damage in Denmark illustrated by hospital statistics]

The occurrence of traumatic brain injury is illustrated with data from the nationwide computer-based registration (Landspatientregisteret) of discharges, discharged persons and diagnoses according to the WHO Classification of Diseases (ICD) carried out by the Danish National Board of Health. After correction for readmissions during 1986, a total discharge rate for 1986 of 3.32 per 1,000 inhabitants was found for diagnoses ICD 850 (commotio cerebri), 851 (contusio, dilaceratio, conquassatio cerebri), 852 (haemorrhagia intracranialis traumatica sive non specificata), and 854 (laesio traumatica intracranialis alia sive non specificata) as the primary or parallel diagnosis. 90% of the patients had diagnosis ICD 850. For ICD 850 and 851, the number of discharges was constant during 1981-1986, but decreased 14%, respectively 13% from 1986 to 1988. For ICD 850, the number of bed days decreased 29% to 31,419 from 1981 to 1988. On the contrary, discharges under diagnosis ICD 852 increased from 600 per year in 1981-1983 to 800 per year in 1985-1988. A computer-printout for 1988 from the corresponding registration in Frederiksborg County (representing 6.6% of the Danish population) covering the diagnoses ICD 851-854 revealed 75 patients discharged under these diagnoses. Examination of the respective hospital records showed that 29 of these patients had been admitted with sequelae of traumatic brain injury occurring in previous years. Twenty-three residents of Frederiksborg County had suffered recent traumatic brain injury corresponding to ICD 851-4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)