Traumatic Brain Injury

Every day in Utah, 37 people are treated and released from an emergency room due to a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Another seven are hospitalized or die each day from a TBI. In 2009,

• 2,247 Utahns were hospitalized for a TBI
• Another 471 died from a TBI.
• Of those who died, 323 died prior to arriving at the hospital and 145 died sometime after receiving treatment in the hospital.

Traumatic brain injuries can have a dramatic impact on a person’s ability to lead an active, fulfilling life. TBIs can affect an individual’s ability to work, their short- and long-term memory, vision, sleep, mood, and movement.

Causes of TBI in Utah

The top three causes of TBI hospitalizations and deaths in Utah in 2009 were:

• Falls (33.6%)
• Motor vehicle traffic crashes (18.3%)
• Suicide and suicide attempts (11.5%)

Additional data on causes of TBI, age and sex, hospitalization charges, and applicable laws, can be found:

• TBIs in Utah, 2009 fact sheet
• Transportation-related TBIs in Utah, 2009 fact sheet
• Sports/Recreation-related TBIs in Utah, 2009 fact sheet
• TBIs in Utah by Small Areas, 2009 fact sheet

TBI Database

Since 1990, the UDOH Violence and Injury Prevention Program has collected data on TBI in Utah through review of hospital discharge data, death certificates, and hospital records. TBIs are included in the database when they result in hospitalization or death with one or more of the following:

• Observed or self-reported unconsciousness or decreased level of consciousness;
• Amnesia;
• Skull fracture;
• Changes in motor function, sensory function, reflexes, or speech; or
• Seizures; hemorrhages, bruising, or other trauma to the brain.