Emergency Department Visits for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Associations with Geriatric Age, Sex, and Fall Injury

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Neurology
• Public Health

Background:

• Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) disproportionately affects geriatric populations.
• Older adults often experience persistent and untreated symptoms post-mTBI.
• Understanding patterns of emergency department (ED) visits is crucial for geriatric care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze population percentages of initial onset (mTBI-IN) versus subsequent (mTBI-S) ED visits.
• To investigate associations between mTBI-IN/mTBI-S and geriatric status (≥65 years).
• To explore relationships with sex and fall-related injury mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Population-based cross-sectional study utilizing 2018 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) data.
• Sample size of 261,349 patients.
• Independent t-tests and Pearson's chi-squared analyses were employed.

Main Results:

• Mean age was higher for mTBI-S (50.4 yrs) than mTBI-IN (41.4 yrs) (p=0.025).
• Visits among those ≥65 were significantly associated with mTBI-S (p<0.001).
• Males had more mTBI-S ED visits than females (p=0.022); fall injury alone was not significantly associated (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Patients aged ≥65 are more likely to have repeat ED visits for mTBI care.
• Post-mTBI ED visit monitoring should prioritize geriatric populations.
• Targeted medical management is recommended for older adults after mTBI.