Epidemiology of traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents in south-western Sweden

The objectives of this study were to outline the incidence, gender distribution, external causes, severity and early outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The subjects were children and adolescents in the southwestern Swedish health care region, aged 0-17 y in 1987-1991 and fulfilling the criteria for TBI. Identification was made from the discharge registers of the hospitals in the region admitting patients with TBI, and outcome data were obtained from medical records. The mean incidence rate was 12/100 000 for TBI. The dominant external cause was traffic (60%), followed by falls (22%). At discharge, 49% of these surviving were healthy, 48% suffered from one functional impairment and 52% suffered from two or more impairments. In conclusion, although the incidence rate of TBI is low in Sweden, the condition causes permanent functional impairment in 6/100 000 cases every year.