RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
A1 Canavan, Neil
T1 Traumatic Brain Injury: The Silent Epidemic
JF MD Conference Express
YR 2008
FD SAGE Publications
VO 8
IS 3
SP 30
OP 30
DO 10.1177/155989770800800323
UL http://mdc.sagepub.com/content/8/3/30.abstract
AB Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become the hallmark injury of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and as compared with previous conflicts, the chances of surviving a TBI have greatly improved. However, the numbers of soldiers with TBIs, described as “staggering” by the media, believe the true scope of the problem. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (2004) civilians sustain an estimated 1.4 million TBIs annually in the US, resulting in 50,000 fatalities, 235,000 hospitalizations, and 1.1 million patients who are treated and then released from the ER to an uncertain future.