Posters
Presenting Author Academic/Professional Position
Medical Student
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Medical Student
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Medical Student
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Medical Student
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Medical Student
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Medical Student
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Poster
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Community/Public Health
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Research/Clinical
Abstract
Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by an external force and can result in temporary or permanent brain function impairment. In 2019 and 2020, it was estimated that TBI resulted in ~220,000 hospitalizations and ~64,000 deaths in the United States making TBI a significant public health concern. Of note, patients living in the southern states have been shown to have the highest TBI related fatalities per 100,000 population, with Texas ranking second for the number of TBIs in the United States. Limited epidemiological studies have evaluated possible causes for the increased prevalence and severity of TBI in southern states. As a first step, here we sought to understand the relationship between Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and demographic factors from a large cohort of TBI cases in Texas to better assess different risk factors associated with TBI incidence.
Methods: Using publicly available data from the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) trauma database from 2018 to 2022, we collected data for subjects that were diagnosed using ICD10 code S06 for TBI. All TBI cases in our data set were assessed for multiple variables including age, sex, ethnicity, cause of injury, and total Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores. Classifications for Injury Type and Consciousness Status were derived from the S06 ICD10 code information. Data analyses were conducted using R (version 4.4.1) (R Core Team, 2024). A p value below 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: We identified 66,431 cases of TBI in our dataset. We first evaluated the relationship between GCS and age. We found that age was a significant predictor of the GCS score (r = .21, p < .001; F(1, 52069) = 2386, p < .001), with older populations showing an increased GCS score. Furthermore, GCS scores were significantly different between male and female patients, with female patients having a higher GCS score (χ²(1, N = 52075) = 476.88, p < .001). The mean GCS score for male patients was 12.49 (SD = 4.27), while the mean for female patients was 13.40 (SD = 3.42). We assessed GCS scores across six ethnic groups and found significant differences among some (χ²(5, N = 49,740) = 203.99, p < .001). Specifically, Black patients had lower GCS scores compared to Asian, Hispanic, Other/Mixed, and White patients (p < .05), while Hispanic patients had higher scores than both Black and White patients (p < .05).
Conclusion: Our results suggest that epidemiological differences in GCS scores exist in TBI patients in the state of Texas. We found that women and older individuals had more protection from the impact of TBI with higher GCS scores. Interestingly, Hispanics had significantly higher GCS scores than other ethnicity groups. Our data suggests that certain populations may have less severe TBI at presentation, exhibiting a delayed onset of symptoms. Future work will evaluate the influence of cause of injury and injury severity score (ISS) on our observed trends.
Recommended Citation
Padhi, Shalika; Guillory, Mary Arden; Ortigoza, Isabella; Holubar, Ashlyn; Torres, Jocelyn; Saldhi, Saloni; Salinas, Daniel; and Baker, Kelsey, "Influence of Epidemiological Factors on GCS Score of Traumatic Brain Injury Cases in Texas: A Five-Year Retrospective Analysis" (2025). Research Symposium. 146.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/2025/posters/146
Included in
Influence of Epidemiological Factors on GCS Score of Traumatic Brain Injury Cases in Texas: A Five-Year Retrospective Analysis
Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by an external force and can result in temporary or permanent brain function impairment. In 2019 and 2020, it was estimated that TBI resulted in ~220,000 hospitalizations and ~64,000 deaths in the United States making TBI a significant public health concern. Of note, patients living in the southern states have been shown to have the highest TBI related fatalities per 100,000 population, with Texas ranking second for the number of TBIs in the United States. Limited epidemiological studies have evaluated possible causes for the increased prevalence and severity of TBI in southern states. As a first step, here we sought to understand the relationship between Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and demographic factors from a large cohort of TBI cases in Texas to better assess different risk factors associated with TBI incidence.
Methods: Using publicly available data from the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) trauma database from 2018 to 2022, we collected data for subjects that were diagnosed using ICD10 code S06 for TBI. All TBI cases in our data set were assessed for multiple variables including age, sex, ethnicity, cause of injury, and total Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores. Classifications for Injury Type and Consciousness Status were derived from the S06 ICD10 code information. Data analyses were conducted using R (version 4.4.1) (R Core Team, 2024). A p value below 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: We identified 66,431 cases of TBI in our dataset. We first evaluated the relationship between GCS and age. We found that age was a significant predictor of the GCS score (r = .21, p < .001; F(1, 52069) = 2386, p < .001), with older populations showing an increased GCS score. Furthermore, GCS scores were significantly different between male and female patients, with female patients having a higher GCS score (χ²(1, N = 52075) = 476.88, p < .001). The mean GCS score for male patients was 12.49 (SD = 4.27), while the mean for female patients was 13.40 (SD = 3.42). We assessed GCS scores across six ethnic groups and found significant differences among some (χ²(5, N = 49,740) = 203.99, p < .001). Specifically, Black patients had lower GCS scores compared to Asian, Hispanic, Other/Mixed, and White patients (p < .05), while Hispanic patients had higher scores than both Black and White patients (p < .05).
Conclusion: Our results suggest that epidemiological differences in GCS scores exist in TBI patients in the state of Texas. We found that women and older individuals had more protection from the impact of TBI with higher GCS scores. Interestingly, Hispanics had significantly higher GCS scores than other ethnicity groups. Our data suggests that certain populations may have less severe TBI at presentation, exhibiting a delayed onset of symptoms. Future work will evaluate the influence of cause of injury and injury severity score (ISS) on our observed trends.
