Morbidity and Mortality Profile of Head Injury Patient Admitted in Tertiary Care Centre of Bareilly

Head injury is considered as a major health problem that is a frequent cause of death and disability and makes considerable demands on health services. This study was conducted on patients of head injury admitted in emergency department of Rohilkhand Medical College and Hospital, Bareilly from July 2013 to June 2014 to determine the number of head injury patients, nature of head injuries, condition at presentation and outcome.

Out of total 468 head injury patients admitted, maximum 28.21% belonged to age group 21–30 years. Majority of the patients (27.99%) were students by occupation. Road traffic accident (45.08%) was the main cause of head injury followed by fall from height (35.26%). At the time of admission 75% patients were conscious having Glasgow Coma Scale of 15.

To minimize the morbidity and mortality resulting from head injury there is a need for better maintenance of roads, improvement of road visibility and lighting, proper mechanical maintenance of automobile and other vehicles, rigid enforcement of traffic rules, compulsory wearing of crash helmets by motor cyclist and scooterists and shoulder belt in cars and imparting compulsory road safety education to school children from primary education level. Moreover, appropriate medical care facilities (including trauma centres) need to be established at district level, sub-divisional and block levels to provide prompt and quality care to head injury patients