A STUDY OF HEAD INJURY PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF TRIPURA, INDIA.

Background: India has the rather unenviable distinction of having the highest rate of head injury in the world. In India, more than 100,000 lives are lost every year with over 1 million suffering from serious head injuries. In India, 1 out of 6 trauma victims die, while in the United States this figure is 1 out of 200. This seemingly unbreachable gap speaks volumes of the perfected trauma management procedures in US and their near absence in India. The global incidence rate of traumatic head injury is estimated at 200 per 100 000 people per year; however, this rate is uncertain and a likely underestimate. Traumatic brain injury according to the World Health Organization, will surpass many diseases as the major cause of death and disability by the year 2020. With an estimated 10 million people affected annually by traumatic head injury, the burden of mortality and morbidity that this condition imposes on society, makes traumatic head injury a pressing public health and medical problem. Methods: Hospital based Cross Sectional study. Results: Road Traffic Accident(RTA) was found to be the leading (65.7%) cause of traumatic brain injury mostly in the age group of 21-30 years of age. However, in case of age group 1-10 years, fall was found to be the most common factor. Injuries ranged from scalp hematoma (75%) cases followed by cerebral contusions in 26.3%. Conclusion: Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) was the most common cause of head injury, with most common affected group being the young adult males. As much as 40% of these injuries were found to be in urgent need of medical attention.