Risk of posthospitalization mortality among persons with traumatic brain injury, South Carolina 1999-2001.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) negatively impacts long-term survival. However, little is known about the likelihood of death within the first year following hospital discharge. This study examined mortality among a representative sample of 3679 persons within 1 year of being discharged from any of 62 acute care hospitals in South Carolina following TBI and identified the factors associated with early death using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model.

The effect of insurance status, race, and gender on ED disposition of persons with traumatic brain injury.

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of insurance status and demographic characteristics on ED disposition among patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Statewide hospital discharge and ED datasets in South Carolina, 1996-2001, were analyzed by primary or secondary diagnosis of TBI in a multivariable logistic regression model. Of 70,671 unduplicated patients with TBI evaluated in the ED, 76% were treated and released; 26% had no insurance.