Characteristics of Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury of Motorcycle Crashes in Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) constitutes a critical public health and socioeconomic problem. As one of the leading causes of mortality and disability from road traffic crashes, the incidence of TBIs is increasing with increasing motor vehicle usage. Understanding the prevalence and describing the characteristics of TBI are crucial for successful implementation of prevention and treatment efforts to reduce the mortality and morbidity caused by TBIs.

Methods: We studied cases of moderate and severe TBI resulting from motorcycle crashes from January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014. Variables studied included sex, age, time interval (from crash to arrival at the emergency department), alcohol consumption, helmet use, severity of TBI, choice of treatment, and the outcome.

Results: A total of 2108 head injury cases were seen at the emergency department during this period, 1324 (62.8%) of which resulted from motorcycle crashes. Of those cases, 30.7% (407 cases) were categorized as moderate or severe TBI with 29.2% mortality. Most of the patients were male (80.8%), <60 years old (96.1%), and did not wear a helmet (71.2%). More than half of the cases (56.7%) arrived at the emergency department within 6 hours, 14.0% of the cases were under alcohol intoxication, and 37.8% of the cases were operated on.

Conclusions: This preliminary analysis highlights the need to address road safety, especially with respect to helmet use and drink driving, to reduce the burden of TBIs in Bandung.

Keywords: Characteristics of traumatic brain injury; Mortality; Motorcycle.