Citation

Brazinova A, Rehorcikova V, Taylor MS, Buckova V, Majdan M, Psota M, Peeters W, Feigin V, Theadom AM, Holkovic L, Synnot A. J. Neurotrauma 2015; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

National Trauma Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia ; Anneliese.synnot@monash.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2015.4126

PMID

26537996

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review provides a comprehensive, up-to-date summary of traumatic brain injury (TBI) epidemiology in Europe, describing incidence, mortality, age and sex distribution, plus severity, mechanism of injury, and time trends.

METHODS: PubMed, Cinahl, Embase and Web of Science were searched in January 2015 for observational, descriptive, English language studies reporting incidence, mortality or case fatality of TBI in Europe. There were no limitations according to date, age or TBI severity.

METHODological quality was assessed using the Methodological Evaluation of Observational Research checklist. Data were presented narratively.

RESULTS: Sixty-six studies were included in the review. Country-level data were provided in 22 studies, regional population or treatment centre catchment area data were reported by 44 studies. Crude incidence rates varied widely. For all ages, and TBI severities, crude incidence rates ranged from 47.3 per 100,000, to 694 per 100,000 population per year (country-level studies) and 83.3 per 100,000, to 849 per 100,000 population per year (regional-level studies). Crude mortality rates ranged from 9 to 28.10 per 100,000 population per year (country-level studies), and 3.3 to 24.4 per 100,000 population per year (regional-level studies.) The most common mechanisms of injury were traffic accidents and falls. Over time, the contribution of traffic accidents to total TBI events may be reducing.

CONCLUSION: Case ascertainment and definitions of TBI are variable. Improved standardisation would enable more accurate comparisons.

Language: en