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Citation
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Majdan M, Mauritz W, Rusnak M, Brazinova A, Rehorcikova V, Leitgeb J. J. Neurotrauma 2014; 31(11): 1046-1055. |
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Affiliation
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Trnava University, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, Department of Public Health, Trnava, Slovakia ; mmajdan@igeh.org. |
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Abstract
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Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are of special concern in the pediatric and adolescent population due to high incidence, mortality and potential years of life lost (PYLL). Knowledge on causes and mortality trends is essential for effective prevention.
The aim of this study was to analyze the long term trends and causes of TBI-related mortality between 1980 and 2012 in the pediatric and adolescent populations of Austria.
Death certificate data on TBI-related deaths of children and adolescents aged 0-19 years and exact population numbers were obtained from the Austrian Statistical Office. Five age-groups were created. Mortality trends, and causes of TBI were analyzed. PYLL were used to indicate the public health impact.
Out of 5319 identified TBI-related deaths, 75% were male victims. The annual mortality rates per 100,000 between 1980 and 2012 decreased from 25 to 2.6 in males, from 8.5 to 1.0 in females and from 16.9 to 1.8 in the total population. 15-19 years old had the highest mortalities followed by 0-2 years old. Over 80% of deaths were caused by accidents, inflicted TBIs were most common in 0-2 years old and traffic accidents in 15-19 years old. 295,793 PYLL can be attributed to TBIs in the studied period.
Measures to prevent traffic accidents contributed significantly to the decrease of mortality and PYLL, especially in 15-19 years old men. Causes and trends of TBI related mortality exhibit age group-specific patterns and this knowledge could contribute to plan further preventive action to reduce TBI fatalities in the studied population.
Language: en |