OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics from people with head injury at Salvador city, as well, to point out the most frequent age groups, their disabilities and lethality rates. METHOD: Assessment and notification of 555 medical files from victims with head injury assisted at the General Hospital of Bahia during 2001. RESULTS: 82.9% from all victims were male and 17.1% female; the most frequent age group was 21 to 30 years; the most relevant cause of head injury was traffic accident (40.7%), followed by physical violence with or without weapons (25.4%) and falls (24%). CONCLUSION: The most evident profile group involved in accidents with head trauma implications was young male that usually had traffic injuries, with expressive rates of disabilities and lethality.
head injury; epidemiology; morbidity; mortality
