Factors Affecting Hospital Length of Stay for Drivers with Traumatic Brain Injuries from Motor Vehicle Crashes: South Carolina Case Study

Abstract

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a major cause of disability and mortality, and many TBIs are caused by motor vehicle crashes. Hospital length of stay (LOS) is often regarded as a representation of consumption of hospital resources and may also represent injury severity. This study investigated the effects of crash factors and driver characteristics on hospital LOS for drivers sustaining a TBI in traffic crashes. The South Carolina Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System for 2005 to 2007 was used to build a zero-inflated negative binomial regression to predict hospital LOS for drivers experiencing a TBI as a result of a crash. Not wearing a seat belt, ejection from the vehicle, and a crash on a roadway with a high speed limit were factors associated with a greater likelihood of being admitted to the hospital and having longer hospital LOS for drivers sustaining TBIs in crashes. Intoxicated drivers were more likely to be admitted to the hospital but tended to have shorter LOS when they sustained a TBI in a crash. Hospital LOS may be a surrogate measurement of injury severity as well as a representation of health care resource consumption. Understanding the effects of crash factors on hospital LOS for drivers sustaining a TBI in crashes can help policy makers, roadway designers, and health care providers develop specific interventions for understanding traffic crash–related health care resource consumption.