The epidemiology of traumatic brain injuries in northeastern Iran

Traumatic brain injuries are one of the most important causes of deaths and disabilities worldwide. This study was an epidemiological investigation of traumatic brain injuries in northeastern Iran.

This cross-sectional study was included all patients who referred to the emergency department of a referral hospital following traumatic brain injuries during a one-year period (September 2020 to September 2021) in Quchan, Iran. The data collection tools included a demographic information questionnaire, a self-designed checklist, patients’ records, radiology results, and brain CT scans of the patients. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.

There were 757 patients (70.7% males) with an average age of (30.91 ± 18.88) years. The most common causes of traumatic brain injuries were traffic accidents (50.2%), fights (17.2%), and falls from a height (14.5%). The most common abnormal finding in brain CT scan was epidural hematoma (25%), the most common trauma was organ trauma (33.56%), and the most common clinical manifestation was headache (44.3%). All causes of traumatic brain injuries, except for falling the stairs, were reported more in men than in women. The incidence rate of traumatic brain injuries was calculated to be 7.4 cases per 1000 people per year.

The findings suggest the importance of preventing traffic accidents, fights, and falls from a height. This requires the revision and modification of macro-level managerial models of prevention services.