Citation

Zhou SA, Ho AFW, Ong MEH, Liu N, Pek PP, Wang YQ, Jin T, Yan GZ, Han NN, Li G, Xu LM, Cai WW. Medicine (Baltimore) 2017; 96(26): e7395.

Affiliation

aDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China bSingHealth Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Singapore Health Services cDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital dHealth Services and Systems Research eCentre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore fSchool of Medicine, Zhejiang University gInternational Cooperation and Communication Office, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/MD.0000000000007395

PMID

28658174

Abstract

The use of electric bicycles (EBs) in China is growing. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the pattern and outcomes of EB-related injuries presenting to a major general hospital in China.This was a retrospective review of EB-related injuries presenting to Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from 2008 to 2011. Cases were identified from medical records according to diagnosis codes. Data captured included demographics, injury characteristics, and outcomes.A total of 3156 cases were reviewed in the present study. There were 1460 cases of traffic accidents, of which 482 cases were EB-related (32.7%). In addition, most of EB-related cases (44.6%) belonged to the 41- to 60-year-old age group. Median injury severity score was 10. Moreover, 34.9% underwent surgery and 24.7% were admitted to intensive care unit. The median hospitalization cost was 14,269 USD. Fracture (56.5%) was the most frequently diagnosed injury type, and head was the most commonly injured body region (31.1%).EB-related injuries have become a major health concern, making up a sizeable proportion of injuries presenting to the emergency department. Therefore, it is necessary to establish injury prevention and strategies for EB road safety. Implementation of policy such as compulsory helmet use, as well as popularization of EB road safety education should be considered to improve the current situation of EB-related injuries in China.

Language: en