Electric scooter-related injuries

Background: The use of electric scooters has increased considerably as they are an acces-sible means of transportation. The number of injuries from falls and collisions has risen significantly. Therefore, the aim of the study was to describe demographics injury patterns of electric scooter accidents...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Coelho, Alexandre|||0000-0003-1920-1032, Feito, Pablo, Corominas, Laura, Sánchez-Soler, Juan Francisco, Pérez-Prieto, Daniel|||0000-0002-7112-0742, Martínez-Diaz, Santos, Alier, Albert, Monllau García, Joan Carles|||0000-0002-2418-4874
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:251099
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/251099
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.3390/jcm10153283
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Electric scooters
Accidents
Epidemiology
Incidence
Injury
Prevention
Descripción
Sumario:Background: The use of electric scooters has increased considerably as they are an acces-sible means of transportation. The number of injuries from falls and collisions has risen significantly. Therefore, the aim of the study was to describe demographics injury patterns of electric scooter accidents produced over one year. Methods: A prospective observational study of electric scooter-related injuries presented in the emergency room from May 2019 until May 2020. The inclusion criteria was based on the direct cause of injury produced while an electric scooter was in use. De-mographic data, the use of a helmet or the lack thereof, accident mechanism, injury time, type of injury produced, and the treatment applied were collected. Results: Over the study period, 397 patients were identified with a total of 422 injuries. The mean age was 30.8 years, with 12.6% of patients being minors. The patients mainly presented in evening hours and in summertime at the emergency department. Of the total injuries seen, 46.9% were fractures. Some 25% of the total cases required surgery. Only 19% of the riders wore a helmet at the time of the accident. Most of the fractures were to the upper limbs (62.6%). There was a greater incidence of radius fractures. Conclusion: Injuries incurred while using electric scooters are an emerging phenomenon, despite existing regulations. In this study, most injuries occurred in young men and were due to falls from the vehicle. Nearly half of those injuries were fractures to the upper limbs. Surprisingly, 50% of the fractures required surgery.