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ABC News Reporter Bob Woodruff Raises Awareness of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Where you are when you suffer a traumatic brain injury could make the difference between life and death. ABC News reporter Bob Woodruff was reporting on the war in Iraq when a roadside bomb detonated nearby. Because he was within one hour of some of the best neurosurgical care in the world, he survived. Had he been injured in Cook County he would have been taken to the closest hospital, many of which do not offer neurosurgical care. Subsequently he would have required transfer to a neurosurgical center, which, on average takes 6 hours, and is well beyond the ideal period for neurosurgical intervention. Bob Woodruff might not have survived.

Every year between 1.4 and 2 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Estimates indicate that of those injured, one quarter million are hospitalized. Approximately one third of adults hospitalized with TBI still need help with daily activities 1 year after their discharge. Over 50% of TBI accidents are the result of motor vehicle crashes, followed by sports-related head injuries which represent approximately 15% of the incidents. Annual direct and indirect costs of TBI are estimated at over $50 billion.

The mortality rate for TBI is 30 per 100,000 or an estimated 50,000 deaths in the United States annually. Of those who die, 50% do so within the first two hours of their injury, making the immediate availability of neurosurgical care critical. In fact, the first hour of care, the “golden hour,” can determine whether a person live or dies, or at the very least, whether they will live the rest of their life with or without significant disability.

Bob Woodruff, the ABC correspondent who suffered TBI from a roadside bomb in Iraq last year received care in less than one hour. Bob Woodruff is scheduled to make his first appearance on television on February 27th in an hour-long special on ABC detailing the events of his assault and recovery.

Like other celebrities afflicted with a medical condition, Bob Woodruff is using his notoriety to raise awareness of TBI. While TBI causes more deaths than breast cancer annually, most Americans know nothing about it. Similarly important is the estimated 5.3 million Americans living today with disability caused by TBI. There are many kinds of impairments that may occur as a result of TBI. These include:

cognition — concentration, memory, judgment, and mood
movement abilities — strength, coordination, and balance
sensation — tactile sensation and special senses such as vision
TBI sometimes results in seizure disorders (epilepsy).
About 1 percent of persons with severe TBI survive in a state of persisting unconsciousness

As part of Mr. Woodruff’s research on TBI, he spent a morning with Dr. Gail Rosseau, neurosurgeon with the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (CINN) and expert on TBI.