Approximately 20,000 folks are seen in the AZ emergency departments for a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).  Of these 1,000 die and 4,500 are hospitalized.  At least 2% of the U.S. population has a TBI-related long-term need for help to perform activities of daily living.   So, needless to say, brain injury is a major public health issue.  There’s growing evidence that the management of brain injury in the early minutes after injury profoundly impacts outcome, leading to new evidence-based treatment guidelines.  Accurate measurement is a fundamental first step in the improvement of any process of care.  Our Arizona Trauma Registry has evolved into a powerful tool for measuring and improving trauma care in Arizona and now has another important use.  The top 3 causes of traumatic brain injury are car accidents, falls and firearms.

Based largely upon the success of the cardiac resuscitation work which has resulted from the collaboration between the ADHS and the UA College of Medicine, we’ve jointly received a 5-year NIH grant to study the impact of the latest pre-hospital treatment guidelines.  This novel 5-year study will involve tracking incidence, processes of care and outcomes across Arizona along with specific training and treatment interventions.  This study will involve linkage of pre-hospital and trauma registry data with the aim of improving outcomes for victims and pushing the frontiers of science.  The hope is that results of this study will change the way victims are treated across the country and improve outcomes.  Way to go Dr. Ben Bobrow & team.