Traumaticbrain injury (TBI) is defined as “blow to the head, or a penetrating head
injury, that disrupts the function of the brain”. TBI severity can be graded as
mild, moderate or severe and more detailed TBI severity classification can be
seen in Table. TBI is one of the leading causes of disability and death, and
represents a serious public health problem worldwide with loss of economic
productivity and increased healthcare utilisation. TBI is also known as the
“silent epidemic” as longer-term impacts of TBI may not be visible. The
incidence is highest in individuals in productivity age of 16 to 60 years.
However, it is underestimated due to under-reporting of mild TBI cases, as many
of these individuals may not present to hospital or seek any healthcare. In the
United States (US), TBI accounts for 50,000 deaths and 1.1 million emergency
department presentations annually.
Italso accounts for estimated one million and 25,000 hospitalisations per year in
the European Union and Australia, respectively. Although medical advances,
including safety and prevention measures have ominously reduced the mortality
rate from TBI, however, there is a corresponding increase in the number of
TBIrelated injuries, resulting in a significant number of individuals living
with disability and chronic symptoms. Depending on the severity of the TBI, the
level and area of impairment differs among individuals and include impairments
in motor function, cognition, language, sensory processing, emotional disturbances
and others. The financial implication and burden of TBI to the society as a
whole is significant, with an estimated annual cost of US$60 billion. In 2008,
the total costs of TBI in Australia alone was estimated to be AUD$8.6 billion,
with a lifetime cost of AUD$ 2.5 million and AUD$4.8 million per incident of
moderate and severe TBI, respectively. Some of the potential consequences of
TBI are listed in Table.
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