A brain injury occurs every 16 seconds. A death from brain injury occurs every 12 minutes.
The highest rates of brain injury typically occur in males ages 15-24. Young children and individuals over 75 years of age are also more susceptible to head injury due to falls. Three quarters of those injured are males. Only 21.2% of the TBI injuries were to females while 78.8% involved males.
Percentage of all brain injuries by age group:
- 15-25 years of age: 31.7%
- 26-35 years of age: 22.5%
- 36-45 years of age: 19.5%
- 46-55 years of age: 10%
- 56-65 years of age: 7.5%
- 66-75 years of age: 6.3%
- 76-85 years of age: 2.5%
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 5.3 million Americans are living with disabilities associated with traumatic brain injuries.
Approximately two million head injuries occur each year in the United States and between 75,000 and 100,000 Americans die each year as a result of those injuries. For those who survive, at least 500,000 will require hospitalization and 70,000 to 90,000 will suffer long-term, physical, intellectual, psychological and cognitive deficits.
According to national statistics:
- TBI leaves more than 17,000 children with a permanent disability every year.
- TBI in children results in more than 250,000 hospital admissions every year.
- TBIs account for more than 10 percent of all emergency room visits by children.
The national statistics cite between 50 and 70% of traumatic brain injuries are the result of a motor vehicle crash (MVC).
The mortality (death) rate for TBI is 30 per 100,000. Of those who die, 50% do so within the first 2 hours of their injury. This is one reason that there is increased emphasis on treatment at the scene of the injury.
The major causes of Traumatic Brain Injury are:
- Motor Vehicle Crashes: 64%
- Gunshot Wounds: 13%
- Falls: 11%
- Assault: 8%
- Pedestrian: 3%
- Sports: 1%
Most TBI injury / accidents occur primarily on weekends (51%) and most occur in the night time hours.
A person not wearing their seatbelt is 8.4 times more likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness in a car wreck.
A properly fitted bicycle helmet reduces the risk by 85% from having a head injury if you happen to fall off of your bike.
Only 1 percent of the children admitted to trauma units after a bicycle injury were wearing helmets.
22% of the football players that are hospitalized due to an injury are diagnosed with head or neck injuries.
46% of children admitted to trauma centers for winter sports injuries were diagnosed with a head injury. Of those children admitted to a trauma center for treatment:
- 6% were injured while sledding
- 17% were injured while snowboarding
- 17% were injured while skiing
- 17% were injured while playing hockey
- 10% were injured while ice skating
Average lifetime cost of care for a person with severe TBI may range from $600,000 to $1,875,000.
Each year, there are 2,000 new cases of “persistent vegetative state” in the US as a result of brain injury.