A recently published article in the Journal of Neurosurgery was co-authored by
Dr. Jamshid Ghajar, Chief of Neurosurgery at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. This clinical article titled “Marked reduction in mortality in patients with severe traumatic injury” is based on research done by Dr. Ghajar and other researchers based on work that was performed at several hospitals including Jamaica Hospital.
According to statistics compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control and prevention, at least 1.7 million people in the United States sustain some form of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) each year. In most cases (75%), the TBI is mild but in some cases it cases it can be quite severe. TBIs occur most often in very young children (0-4 years of age), adolescents (between15 and 19 years old), and older adults (65 years of age and older). Approximately 52,000 people with TBI die and 275,000 are hospitalized. TBIs are a contributing factor in nearly one-third of all injury-related deaths in our country.
Between 2001 and 2009, the number of deaths from severe traumatic brain injury dropped significantly at 22 trauma centers in New York State. The researchers found that the rate of deaths from severe TBI in the trauma centers dropped from 22% to 13% over the 9 year period. This reduction in deaths corresponds to increased adherence by hospital staff to “Guidelines for Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury,” which are produced by the Brain Trauma Foundation, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The findings are reported and discussed in this article.
Summarizing the importance of the study, Dr. Ghajar, president of the Brain Trauma Foundation said “Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in young people. Developing evidence-based guidelines and putting them into practice to improve outcomes are key priorities for the Brain Trauma Foundation. This remarkable reduction in deaths in New York State exemplifies our continued commitment to evidence-based guidleines.”