Emergency Visits
Hospitalizations
This HealthSTATS page provides data on injuries to the head and uses the Association of Public Health Epidemiologists in Ontario (APHEO) definition, which includes at least one of the following: (i) observed or self-reported alteration of consciousness or amnesia due to head trauma; (ii) neurologic or neuropsychological changes or diagnoses of skull fracture or intracranial lesions that can be attributed to the head trauma; (iii) or an occurrence of death resulting from trauma with head injury or traumatic brain injury listed in the sequence of conditions that resulted in death.
For more local data on traumatic brain injuries and other health topics see the interactive dashboards available on Simcoe Muskoka HealthMAPS.
Emergency Visits
According to the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), in 2020, there were approximately 1,835 emergency visits for traumatic brain injuries in Simcoe Muskoka. The age-standardized rate for traumatic brain injury emergency visits in Simcoe Muskoka in 2020 was 311.9 (297.6, 326.7) visits per 100,000 population, which was significantly higher than the Ontario rate of 227.0 (224.6, 229.5) visits per 100,000 population.
The traumatic brain injury emergency visit rates dropped in 2020 by approximately one-third in both Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario overall. This sudden and dramatic drop can be attributed, at least in part, to changes in health care use and access during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear how much pandemic restrictions (like the postponement of most organized sports) may have contributed to the drop in the rates.
Prior to 2002, there was a significant upward trend in the traumatic brain injury emergency visit rates in both Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario from 2003 to 2019, with an average annual increase of approximately nine per cent per year. The Simcoe Muskoka rates were significantly higher than the comparable provincial rates over this entire period.
The age-standardized rate for traumatic brain injury emergency visits in Simcoe Muskoka among males in 2020 was 297.4 (277.9, 317.9) visits per 100,000, which was not significantly different from the Simcoe Muskoka female rate of 328.8 (307.9, 350.7) visits per 100,000.
The same dramatic drop in the 2020 rates was observed for both Simcoe Muskoka males and females. The male traumatic brain injury rates had been significantly higher than the female rates from 2003 to 2015; however, the make and female rates have not been significantly different from each other since 2016.
The age-specific rate for traumatic brain injury emergency visits between 2016 and 2020 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka was highest among youth between 10 and 19 years of age at 1,042 (1007.4, 1077.8) visits per 100,000. This was more than twice the rate for any other age-group over this period. The age-specific Simcoe Muskoka rates were significantly higher than the comparable provincial rates for all age-groups, other than seniors 65 years of age and older.
In 2020, the Simcoe Muskoka youth (10-19 years) traumatic brain injury emergency department visit rates dropped by half among both males and females. This was likely due to changes in health care use and access during the pandemic as well as sporting activity restrictions and other physical distancing measures due to the pandemic. Prior to 2020, rates have increased approximately five-fold among female youth since 2003; whereas the male rates doubled over this same period. The rates among male youth had been significantly higher than the comparable female rates from 2003 to 2013; however, since that time the male and female rates have not been significantly different from each other.
Between 2016 and 2020, sports and recreational activities were associated with half of all traumatic brain injury emergency visits among Simcoe Muskoka male youth (10-19 years) and more than one-third among female youth. Hockey was the most common recreational activity associated with a traumatic brain injury emergency visit among Simcoe Muskoka male youth, followed by football/rugby. Being hit by a ball was the most common recreational activity associated with a traumatic brain injury emergency visit among Simcoe Muskoka female youth.
For the time period from 2016 to 2020 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka, traumatic brain injury emergency visits were highest among those living in areas with the highest amount of material deprivation (as measured by the 2016 Ontario Marginalization Index).
Hospitalizations
On average, there were over 300 hospital admissions per year for traumatic brain injuries in Simcoe Muskoka between 2016 and 2020. About one-in-eight emergency visits for traumatic brain injury led to a hospital admission in Simcoe Muskoka over this five-year period; however, age was strongly associated with a subsequent hospital admission. For example, half of emergency visits for traumatic brain injury among infants (<1 year) and older seniors (75+ years) led to an admission, compare with two per cent of visits among youth (10 to 19 years) that led to a hospital admission.
The age-standardized rate for traumatic brain injury hospitalizations in Simcoe Muskoka for all ages and sexes in 2020 was 52.8 (47.4, 58.7) admissions per 100,000 population, which was significantly higher than the Ontario rate of 40.7 (39.7, 41.7) admissions per 100,000 population.
There was a small increase in the traumatic brain injury hospitalization rates in 2020 in Simcoe Muskoka. It is unclear why the traumatic brain injury hospitalization rates increased while the emergency visit rates dropped dramatically. This difference might be attributed to changes in health care use and access during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for injuries perceived to be less serious.
There has been a significant upward trend in the traumatic brain injury hospitalization rates in both Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario since 2003. The Simcoe Muskoka traumatic brain injury hospitalization rates were not significantly different from the provincial rates for the majority of this time.
The age-standardized rate for traumatic brain injury hospitalizations in Simcoe Muskoka among males in 2020 was 65.7 (57.0, 75.5 ) admissions per 100,000, which was significantly higher than the Simcoe Muskoka female rate of 41.0 (34.5, 48.4) admissions per 100,000. Both the male and female traumatic brain injury hospitalization rates increased significantly since 2003.
Between 2016 and 2020 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka, the traumatic brain injury hospitalization rate was highest among seniors 75 years of age and older at 262.5 (242.2, 284.1) admissions per 100,000, which was three-times the rate for seniors 65 to 74 years and more than seven times the rate for any other age group. The age-specific Simcoe Muskoka traumatic brain injury hospitalization rates only significantly higher from the comparable provincial rates for young adults 20 to 44 years.
Falls were associated with approximately two-thirds of all traumatic brain injury hospital admissions in Simcoe Muskoka over the five-years from 2016 to 2020 and this association was strongest among seniors 65 years of age and older.
For the time period from 2016 to 2020 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka, traumatic brain injury hospital admissions were highest among those living in areas with the highest amount of material deprivation (as measured by the 2016 Ontario Marginalization Index).
