Epidemiology of Work-Related Traumatic Brain Injury and Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown Consequences: Experience in a Reference Center in Chile

Work-related traumatic brain injury (wr-TBI) is a serious occupational health condition with mortality and secondary sequelae associated with it. Knowing its epidemiology and risk factors is crucial for preventing and planning treatment interventions. The COVID-19 pandemic allowed assessing how risk factors affect the incidence of wr-TBI and its clinical presentation. IntroductionWork-related traumatic brain injury is a frequent cause of chronic morbidity, mortality, and high treatment costs. Its causes are highly environmentally determined and were affected by COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.ObjectiveWe aimed to describe traumatic brain injury (TBI) epidemiology in working population and evaluate its modifications during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe performed a 2-year retrospective epidemiological analysis of TBI patients hospitalized in a tertiary work-related hospital before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsIn the prepandemic period, TBI patients were predominantly men, with a bimodal age distribution. Crash accidents were the leading work-related traumatic brain injury cause. During COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, there was a positive correlation between street traffic and TBI rate, presenting increased motor crash accidents as a cause of TBI.ConclusionsThese results are relevant for planning and focalization of resources for TBI prevention.