====== Mild traumatic brain injury epidemiology in USA ======

In 2019 anonymized data from the OptumHealthcare Solutions claims database (2006-2016). The index date was the first date with an mTBI diagnosis. health-care resource utilization (HRU) and costs (2016 USD) were assessed in the 12-month post-index period. 

A total of 80,004 patients with mTBI were included: 60% were under 26 years and 54% were male. Mild TBI was most frequently diagnosed in an [[emergency department]] (ED) for all age groups, except patients aged 11-17 years, for whom the outpatient setting was the most frequent place of diagnosis. Almost half (47%) received brain imaging on the index date, with 98% of which receiving computed tomography. Mean follow-up health-care costs were $13,564 (SD = $41,071), primarily from inpatient ($4,675, SD = $29,982) and non-ED outpatient/physician office visits ($4,207, SD = $12,697). Older patients had greater HRU and higher health-care costs. 

The findings of this claims-based study show substantial HRU and costs associated with mTBI diagnosis during a 12-month follow-up period
((Pavlov V, Thompson-Leduc P, Zimmer L, Wen J, Shea J, Beyhaghi H, Toback S,
Kirson N, Miller M. Mild traumatic brain injury in the United States:
demographics, brain imaging procedures, health-care utilization and costs. Brain 
Inj. 2019 Jun 26:1-7. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2019.1629022. [Epub ahead of print]
PubMed PMID: 31241427.
)).
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[[Mild traumatic brain injury]] (TBI) is estimated to occur in 3.8 million each year in the US.

The peak ages for these injuries are in adolescence and young adulthood, and [[sports related concussion]]s are particularly common among young persons
((Langlois JA, Rutland-Brown W, Thomas KE. The incidence of traumatic brain injury among children in the United States: differences by race. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2005;20(3):229–238.)).

It accounts for 80% of all craniocerebral injuries
((http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/blue_book.pdf)).