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The Maui News
Removing trip hazards for kupuna or making play areas safer for children are some of the steps the state Department of Health is encouraging to help prevent traumatic brain injuries, which account for thousands of emergency room visits and hospitalizations in Hawaii each year.
"TBIs are of immense concern because these injuries are preventable," DOH Developmental Disabilities Division Administrator Mary Brogan said in a news release Tuesday. "A TBI can affect how a brain processes information, compromising a person's cognition, emotions, language, mobility, and sensory perception, all of which impact a TBI survivor's physical functioning and social interactions. Injury prevention practiced regularly can minimize the chances of a TBI and a life-altering event."
The department is pushing for more education around brain injuries and how to prevent them as Brain Injury Awareness Month wraps up.
From 2018 to 2021, Hawaii averaged an annual 4,741 injuries, 1,294 hospitalizations, 3,447 emergency department visits and 108 deaths related to traumatic brain injuries, the department said. Across the U.S., traumatic brain injuries accounted for about 223,135 hospitalizations in 2019 and 64,362 traumatic brain injury-related deaths in 2020.
According to the DOH Neurotrauma Program, some of the steps people can take to help avoid a traumatic brain injury include:
• Wearing a helmet or appropriate headgear when riding a bike, motorcycle, moped, scooter or skateboard; when playing contact sports or baseball/softball; or when riding a horse.
• Wearing a seatbelt when driving or riding in a vehicle and properly installing and using infant and child car seats.
• Never driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Eliminating trip hazards at home for kupuna through regular medication reviews and annual eye exams. Regular exercise is highly recommended to help older adults maintain and improve their balance and coordination.
• Making living and play areas safer for children by installing window guards, using safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs and making sure playground areas have soft material underneath.
For more information on resources for individuals with traumatic brain injuries, call the Neurotrauma Helpline at (808) 733-2155 or visit the Neurotrauma Program website at health.hawaii.gov/nt/.