CDC Study Examines Rising Incidence of TBI from MedPage Today

By Cole Petrochko, Staff Writer, MedPage Today

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) account for 1.7 million hospital visits and 52,000 deaths each year -- almost a third of the nation's injury-related fatalities, the CDC reported.

The agency's study found that the incidence rate of TBI-related emergency department visits and hospitalization increased by 14.4% and 19.5%, respectively, during the 2002-2006 survey period.

About 75% of those injuries were classified as concussions or other mild forms of TBI.

Its report, entitled "Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Death," CDC found that TBIs tend to be concentrated among the young and old.
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• March is Brain Injury Awareness Month (prweb.com)

Older Adults And Babies Most Vulnerable To Preventable Head Injuries Suffered At Home

from Medical News Today

Accidental falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injury among Americans of all ages according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). And among Americans age 65 and older, falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries. Among older adults, traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes nearly 50 percent of fall-related fatalities. In children ages 4 and younger, TBI is the primary cause of fall-related death and severe injury. In 2008, nearly 8.6 million Americans suffered accidental falls according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission statistics indicate that an estimated 1.5 million people are treated for head injuries and nearly 12,000 are treated for neck fractures every year at U.S. hospital emergency rooms.

"Many head injuries occur at one's residence - whether it is a home or a nursing facility - and involve falling and bumping one's head, resulting in mild concussions to severe and even fatal TBIs, said Gail L. Rosseau, MD, a Chicago neurosurgeon and an AANS spokesperson. According to the AANS, people ages 65 and older and babies/toddlers under the age of 4 are the most vulnerable.

Among people ages 55 and older, 129,015 were treated for head injuries related to flooring. And in that same age demographic, there were 22,347 head injuries attributed to wheelchairs and 16,075 attributed to canes, crutches, and walkers. Most of the head injuries related to these products occur as the result of falling and hitting one's head on the floor, while a lesser number involve trauma to the head when it strikes a piece of furniture or part of the home structure, such as a door or countertop.

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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Resource - BrainLine.org

BrainLine.org is a WETA website funded by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center through a contract with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation. Government funding support is not an endorsement of WETA or any of its products, including this website.

The website provides resources on TBI for people with TBI, family and friends and professionals.

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Traumatic Brain Injury States Grant Program, Implementation Partnership Grants

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In July 1996, Congress enacted Public Law 104 166 to provide for the conduct of expanded studies and the establishment of innovative programs with respect to traumatic brain injury, TBI. Under the Law, the Health Resources and Services Administration, HRSA, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, MCHB, is charged with implementing a State Grants Program, formerly called the TBI State Demonstration Grant Program, to improve access to health and other services for individuals with TBI and their families. The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, have also been delegated responsibilities in the areas of research, and prevention and surveillance respectively. The Federal TBI Program was reauthorized as part of the Childrens Health Act of 2008. Through this program States and Territories are eligible to receive two types of TBI Grants. This announcement solicits competitive applications for one type, State Implementation Partnership Grants. These grants are to be used by states to establish an infrastructure for the delivery of TBI related services and to improve the States ability to make system changes that will sustain the TBI service delivery infrastructure. This is the first of a four year project period. (The second category is TBI Protection and Advocacy, P&A, grants to the Governor designated State Protection and Advocacy organizations. These grants provide information and referral services, training in self advocacy, advocacy, and litigation services to individuals with TBI and their families. Since FY 2006, the Federal Program office has only two categories of grants, and the phrase Federal TBI Program is currently an umbrella for 2 components, State Implementation Partnership Grants and Protection and Advocacy Grants.)

Link to Full Announcement

Eligibility - As cited in 42 CFR Part 51a.3 (a), any public or private entity, including an Indian tribe or tribal organization (as those terms are defined at 25 U.S.C. 450b), faith based and community based organization are eligible to apply for this federal funding opportunity that can document previous experience to address and fulfill review criteria in guidance.

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Traumatic Brain Injury State Partnership Program

The purpose of this program is to enact and stabilize systems change, within State governments, to support the availability of and access to services and supports for individuals with TBI and their families. Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-09-132 Closing Date for Applications: Dec 01, 2008 Expected Number of Awards: 16 Award Ceiling: $250,000 CFDA Number(s): 93.234 -- Traumatic Brain Injury State Demonstration Grant Program