The profile of head injuries and traumatic brain injury deaths in Kashmir

The traumatic brain injury deaths showed a steady increase in number from year 1996 to 2003 except for 1999 that showed decline in TBI deaths. TBI deaths were highest in age group of 21–30 years (18.8%), followed by 11–20 years age group (17.8%) and 31–40 years (14.3%). The TBI death was more common in males. Maximum number of traumatic brain injury deaths was from rural areas as compared to urban areas.To minimize the morbidity and mortality resulting from head injury there is a need for better maintenance of roads, improvement of road visibility and lighting, proper mechanical maintenance of automobile and other vehicles, rigid enforcement of traffic rules, compulsory wearing of crash helmets by motor cyclist and scooterists and shoulder belt in cars and imparting compulsory road safety education to school children from primary education level. Moreover, appropriate medical care facilities (including trauma centres) need to be established at district level, sub-divisional and block levels to provide prompt and quality care to head injury patientsHead injury is considered as a major health problem that is a frequent cause of death and disability and makes considerable demands on health services. In developing countries accident rates in general and traumatic brain injury in particular are increasing as traffic increases besides other factors like industrialization, falls and ballistic trauma. Head injuries account for one quarter to one third of all accidental deaths, and for two thirds of trauma deaths in hospitals [1].Traumatic brain Injury is a leading cause of mortality in patients younger than 45 years accounting for more than a third of all injury related deaths in United States. Each year 52,000 people die and another 80,000 suffer morbidity and traumatic brain injury. Although more severe injuries are associated with poorer outcomes, the moderately injured patients also are at risk [2].Road traffic injury is an increasing health problem globally and especia