The Time-Related Trends in the Presenting of Traumatic Head Injury in a Single Institution

OBJECTIVE: It is important to know the epidemiologic aspects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) for its rapid detection, appropriate treatment, and prevention. The purpose of this study is to classify the time of arrival of patients in the emergency room (ER) by time of day, day of the week, month, and season, and to analyze the relationship between the frequency of presentation at different times and TBI. METHODS: The time of arrival of 327 patients with TBI between January 2016 to December 2017 at the ER was analyzed retrospectively. The trends regarding the frequency of presentation of patients with TBI were analyzed in relation to arrival time at the ER. RESULTS: Patients with TBI were found to have the greatest number of hospitalizations at 13:00–18:00, on Saturdays, in December, and during the summer. Surgical treatment was not related to the temporal pattern of TBI patient admission. Patients with TBI in the severe group (GCS score <8) arrived at the ER mainly at 07:00–12:00 (p=0.015). Patients with TBI in the mild group (GCS score 13–15) mainly presented in the ER during the summer (p=0.003), while patients TBI in the moderate group (GCS score 9–12) presented mainly in the winter (p=0.244). The combination of the mild and moderate group presented more often in the winter (p=0.014). CONCLUSION: It is worthwhile understanding the temporal trends of TBI patients. These data may provide useful information in predicting the ER visits of TBI patients in advance and preparing for prompt and appropriate treatment.