Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Concussions

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is an injury that affects how the brain works. It may be caused by bump, blow, or jolt to the head that causes the brain to move quickly back and forth. Other traumatic brain injuries result from an external object penetrating the head. A person with a possible TBI should be seen by a health care provider. Your health care provider may have treatment to help speed your recovery.

South Carolina Drowning Data, 2018-2022

• From 2018-2022, children ages 1 to 4 years old had the highest rate of drowning deaths at 2.7 per 100,000 population and the highest rate of nonfatal drowning-related emergency department visits at 29.0 per 100,000 population.^1,2
• The rate of drowning deaths among males was 3.7 ti

What are Heat-Related Illnesses?

Heat-related deaths and illness are preventable, yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximately

Fireworks-related injuries are most common on and around holidays associated with fireworks celebrations, especially July 4th and New Year's Eve.

The best way to prevent fireworks injuries is to leave fireworks displays to trained professionals. However, if you still want to light fireworks at home, keep these safety tips in mind:

Currently, the South Carolina Fire Injury Prevention Program provides residential smoke alarm installation and fire safety education throughout the state. DPH has been successful in partnering with local fire departments to provide residential smoke alarms and fire safety in homes that include the target population, young children and the elderly.

Falls remain the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injury for older Americans. Falls threaten their safety and independence and generate enormous economic and personal costs.

Steps to protect you and your loved ones while riding a bicycle on the roadways:

Local health departments offer Partner Services, a free, confidential program for individuals and their partners who may have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), as well as others who are at an increased risk for infection. Partner Services assists with linking individuals and their partners to testing, treatment, medical care, STI/HIV prevention services, and other medical services to improve health outcomes. The goal is to prevent the spread of STIs and reduce the harmful effects of complications. Services are offered for the following infections:

Partner services are a broad array of services offered to persons with HIV infection, syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydial infection and their partners. A critical function of partner services is partner notification, a process through which infected persons are interviewed to elicit information about their partners, who can then be confidentially notified of their possible exposure or potential risk.