Causes of<unk>  fatalities in the US<unk>  is a leading cause of death and disability around the globe and presents a major worldwide social, economic, and health problem. It is the number one cause of coma, it plays the leading role in disability due to trauma, and is the leading cause of<unk>  damage in children and young adults. In Europe it is responsible for more years of disability than any other cause. It also plays a significant role in half of trauma deaths. Findings on the frequency of each level of severity vary based on the definitions and methods used in studies. A World Health Organization study estimated that between 70 and 90% of head<unk> es that receive treatment are mild, and a US study found that moderate and severe<unk> es each account for 10% of<unk> s, with the rest mild. The incidence of<unk>  varies by age, gender, region and other factors. Findings of incidence and prevalence in epidemiological studies vary based on such factors as which grades of severity are included, whether deaths are included, whether the study is restricted to hospitalized people, and the study's location. The annual incidence of mild<unk>  is difficult to determine but may be 100–600 people per 100,000. Mortality In the US, the case fatality rate is estimated to be 21% by 30 days after<unk> . A study on Iraq War soldiers found that severe<unk>  carries a mortality of 30–50%. Deaths have declined due to improved treatments and systems for managing trauma in societies wealthy enough to provide modern emergency and neurosurgical services. The fraction of those who die after being hospitalized with<unk>  fell from almost half in the 1970s to about a quarter at the beginning of the 21st century. This decline in mortality has led to a concomitant increase in the number of people living with disabilities that result from<unk> . Biological, clinical, and demographic factors contribute to the likelihood that an<unk>  will be fatal. In addition, outcome depends heavily on the cause of head<unk> . In the US, patients with fall-related<unk> s have an 89% survival rate, while only 9% of patients with firearm-related<unk> s survive. In the US, firearms are the most common cause of fatal<unk> , followed by vehicle accidents and then falls. Of deaths from firearms, 75% are considered to be suicides. The incidence of<unk>  is increasing globally, due largely to an increase in motor vehicle use in low- and middle-income countries. In developing countries, automobile use has increased faster than safety infrastructure could be introduced. In contrast, vehicle safety laws have decreased rates of<unk>  in high-income countries, which have seen decreases in traffic-related<unk>  since the 1970s. Each year in the United States, about two million people suffer a<unk> , approximately 675,000<unk> es are seen in the emergency department, and about 500,000 patients are hospitalized. The yearly incidence of<unk>  is estimated at 180–250 per 100,000 people in the US, 281 per 100,000 in France, 361 per 100,000 in South Africa, 322 per 100,000 in Australia, and 430 per 100,000 in England. In the European Union the yearly aggregate incidence of<unk>  hospitalizations and fatalities is estimated at 235 per 100,000. Demographics<unk>  is present in 85% of<unk> ally<unk> d children, either alone or with other<unk> es. The greatest number of<unk> s occur in people aged 15–24. Because<unk>  is more common in young people, its costs to society are high due to the loss of productive years to death and disability. The age groups most at risk for<unk>  are children ages five to nine and adults over age 80, and the highest rates of death and hospitalization due to<unk>  are in people over age 65. The incidence of fall-related<unk>  in First-World countries is increasing as the population ages; thus the median age of people with head<unk> es has increased. Regardless of age,<unk>  rates are higher in males. Men suffer twice as many<unk> s as women do and have a fourfold risk of fatal head<unk> , and males account for two thirds of childhood and adolescent head trauma. However, when matched for severity of<unk> , women appear to fare more poorly than men. Socioeconomic status also appears to affect<unk>  rates; people with lower levels of education and employment and lower socioeconomic status are at greater risk. Approximately half of those incarcerated in prisons and jails in the United States have had<unk> s.
Traumatic brain injury
Alcohol intoxication
Pediatric concussion
Epidural hematoma
Acquired brain injury
Abnormal posturing  Abnormal posturing  1
Penetrating head injury
Cerebral edema  Cerebral edema  1