Surveillance for traumatic brain injury-related deaths--United States, 1997-2007.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Approximately 53,000 persons die from TBI-related injuries annually. During 1989-1998, TBI-related death rates decreased 11.4%, from 21.9 to 19.4 per 100,000 population. This report describes the epidemiology and annual rates of TBI-related deaths during 1997-2007. REPORTING PERIOD: January 1, 1997-December 31, 2007. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM: Data were analyzed from the CDC multiple-cause-of-death public-use data files, which contain death certificate data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. RESULTS: During 1997-2007, an annual average of 53,014 deaths (18.4 per 100,000 population; range:…