Victor de Araújo Coelho
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Gabriela Malaquias Barreto Gomes
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Vicente José Araújo Neto
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Rodrigo Costa Micheli Xavier
Introduction: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an external trauma, which results in brain alterations. Law 11.910, which requires the presence of frontal Airbags, was developed as a mechanism to minimize the consequences of automobile accidents, like TBI. Objectives: To epidemiologically compare adults with TBI before and after the mandatory use of Airbags in Salvador. Design and settings: An ecological study in Brazil. Methods: Data was published by the Ministry of Health through DATASUS. The selected timeframe was five years before and after the mandatory use of frontal Airbags (2014). The data collected were hospitalizations, deaths, mortality rate, age, and total value. Results: The average mortality rate due to TBI (2009-2013) was 11.6, while decreasing from 2014- 2018 to 8.9 (reduction of 23,3%). The average amount spent in the period preceding the law was 1.250.675 reais, while afterwards it was 1.535.268 (increase of 22,76%). The age group with the most hospitalizations before the law was 20-29 years old, while after it was 30-39. Conclusions: There was a reduction in the mortality rate after 2014, which may be associated with the mandatory use of Airbags. Prior to the law, the total amount spent was lower, possibly associated with a greater severity of injuries and, consequently, a higher number of deaths.