BACKGROUND: This study on traumatic brain injury (TBI) is based on prospective and retrospective population based data from a head injury register in Boras.

METHODS: Data was collected from the hospital emergency unit, the discharge register, the regional neurosurgical clinic and the coroner's records during 1 year. This district is mixed urban and rural with a population of 138 000.

RESULTS: The 753 cases identified represent an incidence of 546 per 100 000 which includes deaths (0.7%), hospital admissions (67%) and attendance at the emergency department in patients not admitted (32%). Males (644 per 100 000), had 1.46 higher overall rate than females (442 per 100 000). The external causes were dominated by fall from same level (31%) and fall from different level (27%) followed by traffic accidents (16%) and persons hit by objects (15%).

CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of TBI found in this study is high but well in accordance with earlier published Swedish studies.