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Abstract

Abstract

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) remain as an important public health problem in most developed and developing countries and may also result in temporary or permanent disability.

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence pattern of the burden of severe TBIs among young children in Qatar and to suggest practical prevention policies that can be implemented in Qatar.

The study was conducted among children aged 14 years or less at the Children Rehabilitation Unit, Paediatric Department, Hamad General Hospital. Severity of TBI was assessed by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).

This study based on 65 children suffering from severe traumatic brain injury from January 2002 to December 2008, 12 of them died within the first month of admission in paediatric intensive care unit. The predominant gender was male (73.8 %), non-Qatari form 50.8%. In our study predominant mechanisms of injury were road traffic accident (84.6%), then falls (10.8%), other causes like head trauma by roof fan blade (4.6%), followed by sports and recreation injuries. Among our patients 43.1 % had spasticity, 33.8% experienced posttraumatic epilepsy. The current study revealed that 24.6 % had communication disorder, 26.2 % had poor cognition, 24.6% had hemiplegia, 18.5 % had abnormal behavior and 15.4 % had a vegetative state. Nearly all the patients (98.5%) required physiotherapy and occupational therapy, 50.8% of them required speech therapy and swallowing assessment, 47.7 % required braces either ankle foot orthosis or hands splints, 16.9 % required behavior therapy, whereas Botox injection was used in 60% of the spastic patient. Finally, the incidence of TBIs from road traffic crashes and injuries in Qatar are increasing significantly compared to the other developing and developed countries.

The present study findings provided an overview of severeTBI in Qatar which mostly related to the road traffic crashes and injuries. Special efforts should be made to reduce further motor vehicle crashes and injuries involving young people and welfare programs are also needed to limit the risk of TBI.

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/content/papers/10.5339/qfarf.2011.BMP54
2011-11-20
2024-03-28
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