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In Canada, 42 929 people were involved in fatal motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) between 1999 and 2018. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including diffuse vascular injury (DVI), were the most frequent cause of death. The neuroanatomical injury pattern and severity of DVI in relation to data on MVC dynamics and other MVC factors were the focus of the current study. Five cases of fatal MVCs investigated by Western University's Motor Vehicle Safety (MOVES) Research Team with the neuropathological diagnosis of DVI were reviewed. DVI was seen in single and multiple vehicle collisions, with/without rollover and with/without partial occupant ejection. DVI occurred regardless of seatbelt use and airbag deployment and in vehicles equipped with/without antilock brakes. All DVI cases sustained head impacts and had focal TBIs, including basal skull fractures and subarachnoid hemorrhages. DVI was seen in MVCs that ranged in severity based on the change in velocity (delta-V) during the crash (minimum 31 km/hour) and occupant compartment intrusion (minimum 25 cm). In all cases, DVI in frontal white matter, corpus callosum and pontine tegmentum were common. In cases with more extensive DVI, pronounced vehicle rotation occurred before the final impact. Extensive DVI was seen in drivers who experienced sudden acceleration during vehicle rotation and deceleration., (© 2022 American Association of Neuropathologists, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a public health problem in Ethiopia. More knowledge about the epidemiology and neurosurgical management of TBI patients is needed to identify possible focus areas for quality improvement and preventive efforts., Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study (2012-2016) was performed at the 4 teaching hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. All surgically treated TBI patients were included, and data on clinical presentation, injury types, and trauma causes were collected., Results: We included 1087 patients (mean age 29 years; 8.7% females; 17.1% <18 years old). Only 15.5% of TBIs were classified as severe (Glasgow Coma Scale score 3-8). Depressed skull fracture (44.9%) and epidural hematoma (39%) were the most frequent injuries. Very few patients had polytrauma (3.1%). Assault was the most common injury mechanism (69.9%) followed by road traffic accidents (15.8%) and falls (8.1%). More than 80% of patients came from within 200 km of the hospitals, but the median time to admission was 24 hours. Most assault victims (80.4%) were injured >50 km from the hospitals, whereas 46% of road traffic accident victims came from the urban area. Delayed admission was associated with higher Glasgow Coma Scale scores and nonsevere TBI (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: The injury panorama, delayed admission, and small number of operations performed for severe TBI are linked to a substantial patient selection bias both before and after hospital admission. Our results also suggest that there should be a geographical framework for tailored guidelines, preventive efforts, and development of prehospital and hospital services., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ethnic disparities have been associated with injury and mortality. The impact of ethnicity on head and neck injury (HNI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), in-hospital mortality and resource utilization following a motorcycle crash (MCC) is undetermined. This study explored the influence of ethnicity in these aspects and the effect of helmet use on HNI and TBI following a MCC., Methods: The National Trauma Registry provided hospitalization data on motorcycle riders and passengers between 2008 and 2017. Ethnicity was classified as Jews or Arabs, the two major ethnic groups in Israel. Univariate followed by multivariable logistic models were applied to examine ethnic disparities. Mediation effect was tested by structural equation modeling., Results: Among 6073 MCC casualties, Arabs had increased odds of HNI (OR = 1.37,95% CI = 1.12-1.65) and TBI (OR = 1.51,95%CI = 1.12-1.99), and a six-fold decreased odds of helmet use (OR = 0.16,95%CI = 0.12-0.22). The HNI and TBI associations with ethnicity were mediated by helmet use. Arabs had significantly higher odds for admission to intensive care unit (OR = 1.36,95%CI = 1.00-1.83), and lower odds for ambulance evacuation (OR = 0.73,95%CI = 0.61-0.89) and discharge to rehabilitation (OR = 0.55,95%CI = 0.39-0.7). In-hospital mortality was not associated with ethnicity., Conclusions: Helmet non-use is an important etiologic factor associated with motorcycle-related HNI and TBI among Arabs. While in Israel, ethnic equality exists in in-hospital health care, disparities in ambulance and rehabilitation utilization was found. Intervention programs should target the Arab population and focus on helmet compliance.

Introduction: Motorcycles are colloquially referred to as "donorcycles" among medical staff. However, the actual impact of helmet laws and helmet use on organ donation is unknown. Michigan's 35-year-old universal helmet law (UHL) was repealed in April 2012 and replaced by a partial-helmet law. We hypothesized that there would be an increase in organ donation rates from unhelmeted motorcyclist fatalities., Methods: Michigan's Gift of Life Michigan organ donation database was queried from April 2008 through May 2015 in conjunction with the Michigan Trauma Quality Improvement Program database from the same time period. All in-hospital motorcycle crash fatalities were examined., Results: A three-fold increase was found in the rate of organ donation for unhelmeted motorcyclists compared to helmeted motorcyclists (p = 0.006). Motorcycle crash fatalities tended to be younger in age after the UHL repeal with an average age of 32.8 years versus 40.8, however, this finding was not statistically significant (p = 0.071). Additionally, there was no significant difference in organ donation rates pre-UHL repeal (2008-2012) versus post-repeal (2012-2015)., Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate an increased rate of organ donation among unhelmeted motorcyclist fatalities compared to helmeted rider fatalities. There was no significant increase in the rate of organ donation following the Michigan UHL repeal. However, we identified that some motorcycle crash fatalities were from illegally unhelmeted riders in the past, prior to the repeal. Practical Application: Unhelmeted motorcyclists are three times more likely than helmeted riders to become organ donors, possibly due to the well documented increase in severe traumatic brain injuries in this population. From a public health perspective, helmets should be required for all motorcyclists and efforts to advocate in favor of helmet legislation should be supported by trauma systems and health professionals., (Copyright © 2020.)

Background: Helmets are effective in reducing traumatic brain injury. However, population effects of helmet laws have not been well described. This study assesses the impact of helmet laws on the motorcycle (MC) fatality rate in the United States from 1999 to 2015., Methods: Fatality Analysis Reporting System MC fatalities (aged ≥16 years), crash characteristics, and MC-related laws were collected by year for all 50 states from 1999 to 2015 to create a pooled time series. Generalized linear autoregressive modeling was applied to assess the relative contribution of helmet laws to the MC fatality rate while controlling for other major driver laws and crash characteristics., Results: Universal helmet laws were associated with a 36% to 45% decline in the motorcycle crash mortality rate during the study period across all age cohorts (unstandardized regression coefficients are reported): 16 to 20 years, B = -0.45 (p < 0.05); 21 to 55 years, B = -0.42 (p < 0.001); 56 to 65 years, B = -0.38 (p < 0.04); and older than 65 years, B = -0.36 (p < 0.02). Partial helmet laws were associated with a 1% to 81% increase in the fatality rate compared with states with no helmet laws and a 22% to 45% increase compared with universal laws. Helmet usage did not attenuate the countervailing effect of weaker partial laws for 16 to 20 years (B = 0.01 [p < 0.001]). Other laws associated with a declining motorcycle crash mortality rate included the following: social host/overservice laws, 21 to 55 years (B = -0.38 [p < 0.001]); 56 to 65 years (B = -0.16 [p < 0.002]), and older than 65 years (B = -0.12 [p < 0.003]); laws reducing allowable blood alcohol content, 21 to 55 years (B = -4.9 [p < 0.02]); and laws limiting passengers for new drivers 16 to 20 years (B = -0.06 [p < 0.01])., Conclusion: During the period of the study, universal helmet laws were associated with a declining mortality rate, while partial helmet laws were associated with an increasing mortality rate. Other state driver laws were also associated with a declining rate. In addition to universal helmet laws, advocating for strict alcohol control legislation and reevaluation of licenses in older riders could also result in significant reduction in MC-related mortality., Level of Evidence: Prognostic and epidemiological, level III.

Background: The objective of this study is to provide an up-to-date overview of the patterns of injuries, especially traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by RTAs and to discuss some of the public health consequences., Methods: A scientific team was established to collect road traffic accidents occurring between 2013 and 2018 in Chongqing, Southwest China. For each accident, the environment-, vehicle-, and person- variables were analyzed and determined. The overall injury distribution and TBI patterns of four types of road users (driver, passenger, motorcyclist and pedestrian) were compared. The environmental and time distribution of accidents with TBI were shown by bar and pie chart. The risks of severe brain injury whether motorcyclist wearing helmets or not were compared and the risk factors of severe TBI in pedestrian were determined by odds ratio analysis., Results: This study enrolled 2131 accidents with 2741 persons of all kind of traffic participants, 1149 of them suffered AIS1+ head injury and 1598(58%) died in 7 days. The most common cause of deaths is due to head injury with 714(85%) and 1266(79%) persons died within 2 hours. Among 423 persons suffered both skull fracture and intracranial injury, 102 (24.1%) have an intracranial injury but no skull fractures, while none of the skull fractures without intracranial injury was found. Besides, motorcyclists without a helmet were at higher risks for all the brain injury categories. The risk of pedestrian suffering severe TBI at an impact speed of more than 70 km/h is 100 times higher than that with an impact speed of less than 40 km/h., Conclusion: It is urgently needed to develop a more reliable brain injury evaluation criterion for better protection of the road users. We believe that strengthening the emergency care to head injury at the scene is the most effective way to reduce traffic fatality., (Copyright © 2020 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and disability annually worldwide. However, the epidemiology of TBI had not been established in China. We conducted a nationally representative door-to-door survey in the general population across all age groups in 31 provinces in mainland China in 2013., Methods: All participants were reviewed for a history of physician-diagnosed TBI by trained investigators using a structured questionnaire. TBI survivors were considered as prevalent cases at the prevalent time. The present study also examined the odds of TBI as a function of sex, age, and other demographical variables using logistic regression model., Results: Of 583,870 participants, 2,673 individuals had suffered from a TBI during their past life, yielding a weighted prevalence of being 442.4 (95% CI 342.2-542.6) per 100,000 person. The TBI prevalence increased with increasing age. The present study observed the multiadjusted ORs of TBI were 1.9 (95% CI 1.8-2.1) for the male, 1.9 (95% CI 1.2-3.1) for the farmers, 1.9 (95% CI 1.2-3.3) for the retiree or homemakers, 3.4 (95% CI 1.5-7.7), and 2.8 (95% CI 1.1-6.6) for those whose education were primary school and high school, respectively. The most common external cause was road traffic accidents among those who were aged 18-34 years old and those whose educational levels were middle school in both genders., Conclusions: Our results indicate TBI was substantially prevalent among Chinese population and underscore the need to develop national strategies to improve the safe education on road and traffic of TBI in rural residents and some subgroup population., (© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Trauma team activation (TTA) criteria, set by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, are used to identify patients prehospital who are at highest risk for severe injury and mobilize the optimal resources. Patients are undertriaged if they are severely injured (Injury Severity Score, ≥16) but do not meet TTA criteria. This study examined the epidemiology and injury patterns of undertriaged patients and potential clinical effects., Methods: All patients presenting to our Level I trauma center (June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018) were screened for inclusion using modified TTA criteria (mTTA), that is, age over 70 years added to the standard American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma TTA criteria. Demographics, injury/clinical data, and outcomes of undertriaged patients were analyzed. Undertriaged patients were further subcategorized as "high-risk" if they expired or required emergent intervention., Results: 233 undertriaged patients were identified from 1423 routine trauma consults (16%). Mean Injury Severity Score was 20 (range, 16-43). Most undertriage occurred following blunt trauma (n = 224, 96%), especially motor vehicle collisions (n = 66, 28%) and auto versus pedestrian collisions (n = 57, 24%). Thirty-two (14%) patients were identified as high-risk undertriaged patients: 16 (50%) required emergency surgery (mainly craniectomy; n = 10, 63%), 5 (16%) required angioembolization, and 14 patients (44%) died. In this high-risk group, the cause of death was almost exclusively traumatic brain injury (TBI) (n = 13, 93%). Of the patients who died of TBI, the majority had a depressed Glasgow Coma Scale score on presentation to the ED (<11) (n = 10, 77%) despite not meeting field criteria for TTA., Conclusion: Using mTTA criteria, undertriage rates are relatively low, particularly after penetrating trauma. However, there is a high-risk population that is not captured, among whom mortality and need for emergent intervention are high. Most undertriage deaths are secondary to severe TBI. Despite not qualifying for highest-level activation, patients with head trauma and Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 11 on admission are at high-risk for adverse outcomes and additional resource mobilization should be considered., Level of Evidence: Care Management, level IV.

In dealing with a scooter-related traffic accident with rider death, it is necessary to identify the driver responsible for the accident. This study aimed to reconstruct the kinematics of a scooter-microvan accident involving three riders and explored the differences in injury risks and characteristics of the scooter driver and passengers. We reconstructed a real accident by using MADYMO multi-body simulation software. Moreover, we designed two-variable simulation experiments to analyze how the velocity and impact angle of the microvan are related to the injuries of the three riders. When the microvan speed is set at 18 km/h and that of the scooter is set at 28.8 km/h, the simulated kinematics correlates well with real accident data, and the impact positions and injury parameters correlate well with the actual injuries. When the impact angle is smaller than 30° and the microvan impact velocity is lower than 40 km/h, the head injury of the driver is more life-threatening than the corresponding injuries of the rear passengers. When the impact angle is 15° and the microvan impact velocity is in the range of 0-20 km/h, the femur fracture risk is higher for the driver than for passengers. As the impact angle increases to 45°, passengers have a higher risk of femur fracture than the driver in the velocity range of 0-10 km/h. This impact velocity range becomes 0-30 km/h at an impact angle of 60° and then 40-70 km/h at an impact angle of 90°. Our study shows that the multibody method can reconstruct accidents and predict the different injury features and risks between the driver and passengers, which is useful in identifying the driver., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.)

This article introduces a new approach for the construction of a risk model for the prediction of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as a result of a car crash. The probability of TBI is assessed through the fusion of an experiment-based logistic regression risk model and a finite element (FE) simulation-based risk model. The proposed approach uses a multilevel framework which includes FE simulations of vehicle crashes with dummy and FE simulations of the human brain. The loading conditions derived from the crash simulations are transferred to the brain model thus allowing the calculation of injury metrics such as the Cumulative Strain Damage Measure (CSDM). The framework is used to propagate uncertainties and obtain probabilities of TBI based on the CSDM injury metric. The risk model from FE simulations is constructed from a support vector machine classifier, adaptive sampling, and Monte-Carlo simulations. An approach to compute the total probability of TBI, which combines the FE-based risk assessment as well as the risk prediction from the experiment-based logistic regression model is proposed. In contrast to previous published work, the proposed methodology includes the uncertainty of explicit parameters such as impact conditions (e.g., velocity, impact angle), and material properties of the brain model. This risk model can provide, for instance, the probability of TBI for a given assumed crash impact velocity.

Background: While seatbelt is an important device protecting drivers from traumatic brain injury (TBI), it has rarely been reported how often and in what circumstances restrained drivers sustain TBI after road traffic accident (RTA). Whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) for blunt trauma patients may provide a unique opportunity to investigate the frequency and characteristics of TBI sustained by restrained drivers., Methods: A single-center, retrospective observational study was conducted using prospectively acquired data. Between January 2013 and December 2017, 409 restrained drivers (284 men/125 women, mean age of 45.0 ± 19.1 years) whose vehicle had been severely damaged in RTAs underwent WBCT for evaluation of injuries. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify variables predictive of TBI. Influence of collision patterns (frontal, lateral or rollover) on the frequency and severity of TBI was evaluated. Relationship between collision patterns and CT findings was also reviewed., Results: Thirty-one restrained drivers (7.6%) sustained TBI after RTA. The distribution of Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores among the 31 drivers was 15 in 9, 13-14 in 9, 9-12 in 4, and ≤ 8 in 9, indicating that the majority of TBIs were classifiable as mild. The frequency of TBI in alert and oriented drivers, i.e., those with a GCS score of 15, was 2.9%. Multivariate regression analysis showed that both altered mental status (OR, 4.933; 95% CI, 1.135-21.431) and loss of consciousness (OR, 6.492; 95% CI, 1.669-25.249) were associated with TBI. The frequency of TBI tended to be higher in drivers with rollover collision than those with frontal collision (6 vs. 13%, p = 0.07). Interhemispheric acute subdural hematoma and subcortical petechial hemorrhage seemed to be characteristic CT findings in drivers with frontal and lateral collision, respectively., Conclusions: The key finding of this study, i.e., that (1) TBI was observed in 7.6% of restrained drivers with severe vehicular damage, may provide useful information to neurosurgeons who take care of RTA victims. The majority of the TBIs were mild without need for neurosurgical intervention. While association may exist between type of collision and type of brain injury, further studies with prospective design are warranted.

This study estimated the frequency and risk of Moderate-to-Maximal traumatic brain injuries sustained by occupants in motor vehicle crashes in the US. National Automotive Sampling System - Crashworthiness Data System crashes that occurred in years 2001-2015 with light vehicles produced 2001 or later were incorporated in the study. Crash type, crash severity, car model year, belt usage and occupant age and sex were controlled for in the analysis. The results showed that Moderate concussions account for 79% of all MAIS brain 2+ injuries. Belted occupants were at lower risks than unbelted occupants for most brain injury categories, including concussions. After controlling for the effects of age and crash severity, belted female occupants involved in frontal crashes were estimated to be 1.5 times more likely to sustain a concussion than male occupants in similar conditions. Belted elderly occupants were found to be at 10.5 and 8 times higher risks for sub-dural haemorrhages than non-elderly belted occupants in frontal and side crashes, respectively. Adopted occupant protection strategies appear to be insufficient to achieve significant decreases in risk of both life-threatening brain injuries and concussions for all car occupants. Further effort to develop occupant and injury specific strategies for the prevention of brain injuries are needed. This study suggests that these strategies may consider prioritization of life-threatening brain vasculature injuries, particularly in elderly occupants, and concussion injuries, particularly in female occupants., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Road traffic incidents (RTIs), falls, and violence contribute to more than two thirds of pediatric traumatic brain injuries in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we sought to assess mechanisms of pediatric traumatic brain injury in an effort to propose interventions for more effective pediatric head injury prevention., Methods: A cohort of 100 patients who were <18 years treated at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital between November 2016 and June 2017 were enrolled in the study. Information on etiology of injury was obtained via a questionnaire administered to patient caretakers at the time of admission., Results: The mean age was found to be 7.5 years (standard deviation 5.2) and 38% were female. In our sample, 61% had computed tomography imaging done, of whom 88.5% had a positive finding. A majority of patients presented with a mild head injury (55%). RTIs were the predominant mechanism of injury across age groups (75%). Across all age groups, falls were responsible for a greater proportion of injuries in children aged 10-14 years (13.3%), whereas the greatest proportion of intentional injuries was reported in age group 10-14 and 15-17 years, 20% and 31.3%, respectively. Patients involved in pedestrian RTIs were significantly younger compared with those injured in nonpedestrian RTIs. Most parents (87.9%) were not with their children at the time of a pedestrian RTI., Conclusions: In Southwestern Uganda, the majority of pediatric neurotrauma patients are injured pedestrians, with no adult supervision at the time of the injury. Conducting a public awareness and education campaign on the necessity of child supervision is critical to decreasing pediatric head injuries in Uganda., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In April of 2012, Michigan repealed its 35-year-old universal motorcycle helmet law in favor of a partial helmet law, which permits motorcyclists older than 21 years old with sufficient insurance and experience to drive un-helmeted. We evaluated the clinical impact of the repeal., Methods: The Michigan Trauma Quality Improvement Program's trauma database was queried for motorcycle crash patients between 1/1/09-4/12/12 and between 4/13/12-12/31/14., Results: There were 1970 patients in the pre-repeal analysis and 2673 patients in the post-repeal analysis. Following the repeal, patients were more likely to be un-helmeted (p < 0.001) and to have a traumatic brain injury (p < 0.001). Patients were also more likely to require neurosurgical interventions (relative risk 1.4, p = 0.011)., Conclusion: Following the repeal of the universal helmet law, there has been a significant increase in traumatic brain injuries and neurosurgical interventions. This analysis highlights another detrimental impact of the repeal of the universal helmet law., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We aim to examine the mechanisms of head-injured children presenting to participating centres in the Pan Asian Trauma Outcomes Study (PATOS) and to evaluate the association between mechanism of injury and severe outcomes., Design and Setting: We performed a retrospective review of medical records among emergency departments (EDs) of eight PATOS centres, from September 2014 - August 2015., Participants: We included children <16 years old who presented within 24 hours of head injury and were admitted for observation or required a computed tomography (CT) of the brain from the ED. We excluded children with known coagulopathies, neurological co-morbidities or prior neurosurgery. We reviewed the mechanism, intent, location and object involved in each injury, and the patients' physical findings on presentation., Outcomes: Primary outcomes were death, endotracheal intubation or neurosurgical intervention. Secondary outcomes included hospital and ED length of stay., Results: 1438 children were analysed. 953 children (66.3%) were male and the median age was 5.0 years (IQR 1.0-10.0). Falls predominated especially among children younger than 2 years (82.9%), while road traffic injuries were more likely to occur among children 2 years and above compared with younger children (25.8% vs 11.1%). Centres from upper and lower middle-income countries were more likely to receive head injured children from road traffic collisions compared with those from high-income countries (51.4% and 40.9%, vs 10.9%, p<0.0001) and attended to a greater proportion of children with severe outcomes (58.2% and 28.4%, vs 3.6%, p<0.0001). After adjusting for age, gender, intent of injury and gross national income, traffic injuries (adjusted OR 2.183, 95% CI 1.448 to 3.293) were associated with severe outcomes, as compared with falls., Conclusions: Among children with head injuries, traffic injuries are independently associated with death, endotracheal intubation and neurosurgery. This collaboration among Asian centres holds potential for future prospective childhood injury surveillance., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Introduction: Traumatic brain Injuries represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and road traffic crashes accounts for a significant proportion of these injuries. However, access to neurosurgical care is poor in low income countries like Tanzania. The aim of this study was to assess the management and outcome of Traumatic brain injury patients at a tertiary level health facility in Tanzania., Methods: A retrospective observational study of Traumatic brain injury patients attended at Muhimbili Orthopedic Institute between January 2014 and June 2014., Results: A total of 627 Traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients were seen, 86% were males. Majority (73%) were between 15 - 45 years age group. Road traffic crashes were the leading cause of injury (59.3%). Majority 401/627 (64%) sustained mild TBI, 114/627 (18.2%) moderate TBI and 112/627 (17.8%) severe TBI. All mild TBI patients had good recovery. Among patients with moderate and severe TBI; 19.1% had good recovery, 50.2% recovered with disabilities and 30.7% died. Independent factors associated with mortality were: Severe TBI (Odds Ratio (OR) 3.16. 95%CI 3.42-10.52) and Systolic blood pressure at referring hospital of more than 90mmHg (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.13, 95%CI 0.04-0.49)., Conclusion: Traumatic brain injury is a public health problem in Tanzania, mostly due to road traffic crashes. It is therefore important to reinforce preventive measures for road traffic crashes. There is also a need to develop and implement protocols for pre-hospital as well as in-hospital management of brain trauma in Tanzania., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest.

Introduction: The surging popularity of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) in the United States has caused an "epidemic of injuries and mortality." The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 99,600 injuries and 426 fatalities from ATV accidents in 2013. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between helmet use and positive toxicology screenings on outcomes in ATV accident victims., Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Center in southwestern West Virginia following an ATV accident between 2005 and 2013. Data were obtained from the institution's Trauma Registry., Results: A total of 1,857 patients were admitted during the study period with 39 (1.9%) reported deaths. Positive serum alcohol and/or urine drug screens were obtained in 66.4% of the patients tested (n=1,293). Those with positive screenings were 9.5% less likely to utilize a helmet (13.2% vs. 22.7%, p<0.001); and the lack of helmet use was associated with an increase in traumatic brain injury (57.1% vs. 41.7%, p<0.001). Positivity for substances or the lack of helmet use was significantly associated with higher morbidity. Lack of helmet use resulted in a 3.94-fold increase in the risk of discharge in a vegetative state or death., Conclusions: Drugs and alcohol use may predispose riders to be less likely to wear helmets and significantly increase the risk of a poor clinical outcome following an ATV accident. Rigorous efforts should be made to enhance safety measures through educational endeavors and amendment of current regulations to promote safe and responsible use of ATVs., Practical Applications: Modification of regulatory requirements should be considered in order to mandate the wearing of helmets during ATV operation. In addition, expansion of safety programs should be considered in an effort to improve availability, affordability and awareness of safe ATV practices., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To provide a comprehensive assessment of the management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) relating to epidemiology, complications and standardised mortality across specialist units., Design: The Trauma Audit and Research Network collects data prospectively on patients suffering trauma across England and Wales. We analysed all data collected on patients with TBI between April 2014 and June 2015., Setting: Data were collected on patients presenting to emergency departments across 187 hospitals including 26 with specialist neurosurgical services, incorporating factors previously identified in the Ps14 multivariate logistic regression (Ps14 n ) model multivariate TBI outcome prediction model. The frequency and timing of secondary transfer to neurosurgical centres was assessed., Results: We identified 15 820 patients with TBI presenting to neurosurgical centres directly (6258), transferred from a district hospital to a neurosurgical centre (3682) and remaining in a district general hospital (5880). The commonest mechanisms of injury were falls in the elderly and road traffic collisions in the young, which were more likely to present in coma. In severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) ≤8), the median time from admission to imaging with CT scan is 0.5 hours. Median time to craniotomy from admission is 2.6 hours and median time to intracranial pressure monitoring is 3 hours. The most frequently documented complication of severe TBI is bronchopneumonia in 5% of patients. Risk-adjusted W scores derived from the Ps14 n model indicate that no neurosurgical unit fell outside the 3 SD limits on a funnel plot., Conclusions: We provide the first comprehensive report of the management of TBI in England and Wales, including data from all neurosurgical units. These data provide transparency and suggests equity of access to high-quality TBI management provided in England and Wales., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the demography and epidemiology of Finnish patients with TBI and to analyse the representativeness of a study sample., Materials and Methods: This prospective multi-centre study was conducted as part of an international collaboration within the EU-funded TBIcare project. The study group was recruited from patients attending the regional emergency department (ED) of the Turku University Hospital, Finland. Pre-defined exclusion criteria included age < 18 years, more than 2 weeks from the injury and uncertain diagnosis of TBI. To be included, a need for an acute head CT (NICE-criteria) was required., Results: Of the 620 patients with TBI or suspected TBI, 203 patients were recruited to the study. Falls were the most common injury mechanism. The study group included more males than the total eligible population (p = 0.011), but no other statistical differences were found. The most common cause for being excluded was lack of information available to the research group before discharge (34%)., Conclusion: This study supports previous findings that falls are the most common injury mechanism in the Western countries. Uncertainty about the diagnosis of TBI, lack of representativeness without continuous recruitment and poor information transfer about the ED attendees are major challenges for prospective TBI studies.

Objective: To identify factors that people with a traumatic brain injury and their families perceived as helping to improve their quality of life., Methods: Three focus groups and five interviews were conducted with a total of 37 participants: 14 persons with traumatic brain injury and 23 caregivers. A content analysis was conducted. The constant comparative method was applied., Results: We detected five factors that improved the quality of life of persons with a traumatic brain and their families: 1) Informal support (family and friends); 2) formal support (counseling, employment, built and bureaucratic environment); 3) type of clinical characteristics; 4) social participation, and 5) social visibility., Conclusions: The needs expressed by our participants primarily focused on social and emotional factors. For persons with severe traumatic brain injury attempting to achieve the best possible community integration, a new semiology is required, not limited to medical care, but also involving social and psychological care tailored to the needs of each individual and family and their environment., (Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)