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Epidemiological study of paediatric traumatic brain injury in Brazil
Leandro Cândido de Souza1, Thiago Mazzu-Nascimento1, Jaqueline Garcia de Almeida Ballestero2
1Department of Medicine, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil.
Insights
This study reveals that traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects over 29,000 children annually in Brazil, highlighting it as a significant public health concern. The findings underscore the urgent need for improved pediatric TBI prevention and management strategies in Latin America.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) presents substantial socioeconomic burdens, particularly impacting child and family dynamics.
- Limited high-quality epidemiological data exists for pediatric TBI globally, especially in Latin America.
- This research addresses the critical need for understanding pediatric TBI in Brazil.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the pediatric population of Brazil.
- To analyze the impact of pediatric TBI on the Brazilian public health system.
- To provide foundational data for future TBI prevention and intervention strategies in the region.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study utilizing Brazilian healthcare database records.
- Data collection spanned from 1992 to 2021, covering a significant period for trend analysis.
- Analysis focused on hospital admissions, mortality, costs, and length of stay for pediatric TBI.
Main Results:
- An average of 29,017 annual hospital admissions for pediatric TBI in Brazil were recorded.
- The incidence rate was 45.35 per 100,000 children/year, with an in-hospital lethality of 3.21%.
- Average annual financial impact exceeded $12 million USD, with longer hospital stays noted for males, Afro-Brazilians, and adolescents.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric TBI is a major public health issue in Brazil, with incidence rates comparable to other developing nations.
- Male predominance (2.3:1) was observed, and a decrease in hospital admissions during the pandemic was noted.
- This study represents the first comprehensive epidemiological evaluation of pediatric TBI in Latin America, filling a critical data gap.
Background:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has a high economic and social impact on the family dynamics, particularly among children. High-quality and comprehensive epidemiological studies about TBI in this population are limited worldwide, specifically in Latin America. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the epidemiology of TBI among children in Brazil and its effects on the public health system.
Methods:
This epidemiological (cohort) retrospective study collected data from the Brazilian healthcare database between 1992 and 2021.
Results:
The mean annual volume of hospital admission (HA) due to TBI in Brazil was 29,017. Moreover, the incidence of TBI in the paediatric population was 45.35 admissions per 100,000 inhabitants/year. Furthermore, approximately 941 paediatric hospital deaths per year were caused by TBI, with an in-hospital lethality rate of 3.21%. The average annual financial transfer for TBI was 12,376,628 USD, and the mean cost per admission was 417 USD. In addition, the mean length of hospital stay was 4.2 days. Notably, the length of stay in the hospital was longer among males, Afro-Brazilians patients and individuals aged 15-19 years.
Conclusion:
Paediatric TBI is an important public health issue worldwide with high social and economic costs. The incidence of paediatric TBI in Brazil is similar to that in developing countries. Moreover, male predominance (2.3:1) was observed in relation paediatric TBI. Notably, during the pandemic, the incidence of paediatric HA has decreased. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first epidemiological study that specifically evaluates paediatric TBI in Latin America.
