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Notice to Readers: Brain Injury Awareness Month --- March 2005
Brain Injury Awareness Month was developed to increase public awareness of brain injuries and their
consequences. Previously, Brain Injury Awareness Month was held in October. However, starting this year, it will be observed in
March and will coincide with Brain Injury Awareness Week (March 14--20, 2005).
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often is called a silent
epidemic because the problems that result from TBI
(e.g., impaired memory) are not immediately visible. Each year in the United States, at least 1.4 million persons sustain a TBI; of these persons, approximately 50,000 die, 235,000 are hospitalized, and 1.1
million are treated and released from emergency departments
(1). Approximately 5.3 million U.S. residents have a long-term or lifelong need for help
to perform activities of daily living as a result of a TBI
(2).
In recognition of Brain Injury Awareness Month, the Brain Injury Association of America is offering educational
kits about living with brain injury. The kits include
posters, a fact sheet, and additional resources. Materials are available
at http://www.biausa.org/Pages/biam2005.html. Additional
information about brain injuries, including causes,
symptoms, and prevention tips, is available at http://www.cdc.gov/tbi and at
http://www.biausa.org.
References
Langlois JA, Rutland-Brown W, Thomas KE. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2004.
Thurman D, Alverson C, Dunn K, Guerrero J, Sniezek J. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: a public health perspective. J Head Trauma and Rehabil 1999;14:60215.
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Health and Human Services.References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are
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