A systematic review of quantitative research on traumatic brain injury in India

Abstract

Introduction: Over a quarter of the world's trauma deaths occur in India, with traumatic brain injury (TBI) as the leading cause of death and disability within trauma. With little known about TBI in India, we set out to do a systematic review to characterize the quantitative literature on TBI in India.

Materials and methods: The following databases were searched from their inception to December 31, 2015: PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and the World Health Organization's Global Health Library, using the keywords: neurotrauma, brain injury, traumatic brain injury, TBI, head injury, and India. Articles were screened by two independent reviewers, with disagreements arbitrated by discussion or a third reviewer.

Results: A total of 72 manuscripts were included, encapsulating 19962 patients over 27 years in 14 states of India. The sample-size-weighted mean age was 31.3 years, male-to-female ratio was 3.8:1, and sample-size-weighted mean in-hospital mortality was 24.6%. Age and mortality did not change significantly over time. Road traffic accidents (55.5%) and falls (29.2%) were the most commonly reported mechanisms of injury for TBI in India. The mean quality of reporting on TBI in India was 65.7%, according to the appropriate EQUATOR guideline score.

Conclusion: The quality of reporting of quantitative studies published on TBI in India is low, and future methodological excellence should be ensured. The demographics and outcomes identified can be used as an epidemiological baseline for future research on TBI in India. Future research can build upon this platform to develop and refine context-appropriate policy recommendations and treatment protocols.