Citation

Dhillon NK, Juillard C, Barmparas G, Lin TL, Kim DY, Turay D, Seibold AR, Kaminski S, Duncan TK, Diaz G, Saad S, Hanpeter D, Benjamin ER, Tillou A, Demetriades D, Inaba K, Ley EJ. J. Am. Coll. Surg. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Critical Care, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA. Electronic address: Eric.Ley@cshs.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American College of Surgeons, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.02.047

PMID

32240771

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Electric scooters are popular in Southern California due to their ease of use, affordability, and availability. The objective of this study was to characterize how hospital admissions and outcomes varied due to electric scooter injuries among Southern California trauma centers. STUDY DESIGN: Trauma registry data from nine urban trauma centers were queried for patients sustaining injuries while operating an electric scooter from January to December 2018. Data collection included patient demographics, diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes.

RESULTS: During the one-year study period, 87 patients required trauma surgeon care due to scooter related injury with a mean age of 35.1 years and 71.3% being male with 20.7% and 17.2% of patients requiring ICU admission and a surgical intervention, respectively. One (1.1%) patient died. The head and face were most commonly injured, followed by the extremities. Helmet use was uncommon (71.3%). High variability in patient volume was noted, with two centers considered high-incidence and the remaining low-incidence.

CONCLUSION: Injuries from electric scooter crashes are primarily to the head, face, and extremities with approximately one in five patients requiring ICU admission and/or a surgical intervention. There is significant variation in patient volume among Southern California trauma centers that could impact the delivery of care with the abrupt introduction of this technology. Targeted public health interventions and policies might better address community utilization of the electric scooter.

Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en