Valued Voice

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, at least 64 million adults report having experienced one or more traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in their life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated in 2020 that there were roughly 215,000 traumatic brain injury related hospitalizations. This data does not include the many TBIs treated in the emergency department, urgent care and primary care. Older adults, those aged 75 and older, pose a greater risk for falls and therefore increased risk for sustaining a TBI. This age group accounts for almost 32% of all TBI-related hospitalizations. The CDC also states that males are almost twice as likely to be hospitalized for a traumatic brain injury than females. There are two different types of brain injuries: acquired brain injury (ABI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). An ABI is a brain injury that causes damage to the brain by internal factors. This includes things like lack of oxygen to the brain, exposure to toxins and pressure from a tumor. A TBI is an alteration of brain function caused by an external force. 

The WHA Information Center analyzed traumatic brain injury visits from January 2021 to September 2024 for inpatient, outpatient, emergency department and observation visits. The average age for patients who visited the above facilities was 45 years old. Many older adults sustain head injuries from falls, but there are many children who are injured from sports and other accidents. The place of service which saw the most brain injury-related visits is the emergency department. Male patients visited facilities for brain injuries more frequently than females. On average, patients admitted to hospitals with a TBI stayed for approximately two days before being released. 

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. The Brain Injury Association of American hopes that their campaign will increase understanding of brain injury as a chronic condition, reduce the stigma associated with having a brain injury, showcase the diversity of injury and the demographics of the community and improve care and support for individuals with brain injury and their families.