A retrospective analysis of TBI in female service members during the Global War on Terrorism

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is often referenced as the "signature injury" of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) due to reports from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) which conclude that from 2000-2019 our service members suffered from 417,503 TBIs. While this large number is quoted in many manuscripts, there is still lack of data surrounding female service members. The author's of this presentation have utilized the Joint Trauma Systems (JTS) TBI registry to analyze the demographics, injury characteristics, and outcomes of female service members who suffered from TBI throughout the GWOT. The intent is to elucidate a major gap in our understanding of sex characteristics of TBI and to also inform leaders about the implications of future conflicts on our female service members. This project represents the largest retrospective analysis of female service members with TBI.