Available online 18 August 2022

Large UK study assessing e-scooter injury presentations Major-Trauma-Centre.

Mortality related to injury severity.

Most admissions are related to head, abdominal and chest trauma.

Most injuries are extremity related and managed without admission.

Policy makers need to be aware healthcare costs approach £1000/episode.

The aim of the study was to describe injuries related to electric scooter at a Major-Trauma-Centre in the UK, We reviewed data from January 2020–December 2020.

All patient-records mentioning electric-scooter at a major-MTC. Records were reviewed, and data were stratified according to two groups: electric scooter riders and other road users. A predefined survey was completed in all cases where ‘e-scooter or electric scooter’ was present. This contained variables such as patient demographics, mechanism of injury (including head and body protection), acuity, intoxication, treatment facility and clinical utilisation. Among incidents involving electric scooters, summary statistics on continuous and categorical variables of interest were reported. Healthcare modelling utilising time driven activity-based costing and Patient-Level-Activity-Costing used to conduct a post hoc analysis of health provider costs.

202 e-scooter injuries were identified. Riders were more likely to be young males aged 18–35, a minority of reported cases being associated with the influence of alcohol or drugs (7.4%). They fall independently involving no other party (87%); sustaining both minor and major injuries; with a significant proportion requiring urgent and emergent surgery 23.7% (n = 40) with 60.1% (n = 121) requiring further secondary care follow-up; whilst 16% require immediate admission with a mean LOS of 5.9 days, including 8-ITU admissions. The overall mortality rate was 0.5% (n = 1), and cost per patient was £1482.46/patient, reducing to £927.25/patient if immediate surgery (<12 h s) was not required.

Due to an emphasis on social distancing, changes in UK law, e-scooters injuries have increased. Most injuries are reported in riders, and are minor, however the mean health episode cost was over £1000.00/patient due to the minority of serious injuries. Research on interventions to prevent e-scooter injuries including protective clothing like helmet wearing is needed to address this growing area of concern, and unnecessary costly healthcare utilisation.

Electric scooter

Trauma

Legislation

© 2022 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.