Unit 10 Epidemiology

Question 1

What is the typical prevalence of SCI in the general population?

Answer 1

• SCI affects up to 450,000 people in the United States
• There are approximately 17,000 new cases of SCI each year.
• Most SCIs occur between the ages of 16 and 30, with males being affected more often than females

Question 2

What are the causes of SCI?

Answer 2

The leading cause of spinal cord injury in the younger population is motor vehicle accidents.
-Older adults (over age 65) are more likely to develop an SCI from falls.
-Violence and sports or recreational activities are other common causes of SCI.
(may also be caused by hitting your head, quick jolt of head, or injury that results in skull/brain penetration)

Question 3

What are the potential symptoms of a SCI?

Answer 3

• Pain and pressure of the neck, head, or back
• Tingling or loss of sensation in a part of the body
• Partial or complete loss of control over a part of the body.
• Urinary or bowel incontinence or retention; pain or pressure in the thorax
• Impaired breathing following injury
• Lumps on head or spine.

Question 4

What is the typical prevalence of TBIs in the general population?

Answer 4

• Traumatic brain injuries resulted in nearly 3 million visits to the emergency department, hospitalizations, and deaths in recent years.
• Between 750,000 and 1 million of those TBIs were in children.
• Visits to the hospital for TBIs have risen, while hospitalizations and deaths have fallen in recent years

Question 5

What are the leading causes of TBI?

Answer 5

Falls, being struck by an object, motor vehicle crashes, intentional self-harm

Question 6

What are the risk factors for TBI?

Answer 6

• TBIs are more frequent in children under 4, young adults between the ages of 15 and 24, and those over age 60, with males more likely than females to experience a TBI, regardless of age.
• TBI-related deaths are more common in people who are over age 75
• TBI- related hospitalizations are also highest among those over age 75 and for those under 4 years old.

Question 7

What are the symptoms of a mild TBI?

Answer 7

• Loss of consciousness for a short period of time
• Being confused or disoriented (concussion)
• Headache
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Difficulty speaking
• Difficulty sleeping
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Ringing in the ears
• Changes in taste or smell
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• Concentration and memory problems
• Mood changes
• Depression
• Anxiety

Question 8

What are the symptoms of a severe TBI?

Answer 8

• Loss of consciousness for longer periods of time
• Headaches
• Repeated vomiting
• Convulsions
• Dilation of pupils
• Clear fluids draining from head
• Inability to wake
• Weakness and numbness in digits
• Loss of coordination
• Confusion
• Agitation
• Unusual behavior
• Slurred speech
• Coma.