Research shows China's clinical ability in treating brain injuries
The capability to treat traumatic brain injuries in China is in line with developed countries, according to research published by the Lancet Neurology on Wednesday.
A team led by Jiang Jiyao from Shanghai’s Renji Hospital researched the incidence of traumatic brain injuries in China, as well as its causes, treatment and mortality rates. It is the first time that Chinese medical experts have reported the improvement of traumatic brain injury care, research and challenges in China, receiving recognition from the international medical field.
Traumatic brain injuries are a serious public health problem in China, leading to over 100,000 deaths and a large number of disabilities every year. The main reasons causing such injuries are traffic accidents, falls and violence.
Treatment for traumatic brain injuries significantly improved in China over the past two decades due to tougher legislation on drinking driving, better health-care policies and improved clinical capability.
“Based on the study of some 30,000 hospitalized patients with acute traumatic brain injuries, the mortality of Chinese patients is 4.6 percent, while it is 4.5 percent in Europe,” said Dr Jiang Jiyao, director of the neurosurgery department at Renji Hospital.
But there are still many challenges in China, such as the lack of a national incidence reporting system, delays in transportation of patients to big hospitals, and a lack of neurological intensive care units and neurosurgeons.
“There are only about 15,000 neurosurgeons, who are required to treat millions of patients with central nervous system diseases, including more than 1 million cases of traumatic brain injuries in the nation every year,” Jiang said.
“China should achieve a standardization of traumatic brain injury care, enhance training for young neurosurgeons, advance medical facilities in remote areas and conduct more randomized controlled trails," he added. "More international cooperation should be carried out."