A national analysis evaluating epidemiology of traumatic e-scooter injuries: injury patterns, helmet use, and alcohol intoxication.

Abstract

Introduction: With the increased use of e-scooters, there has been an associated rise in traumatic injuries. Existing literature is limited to single-center studies and incomplete characterization of injury severity and outcomes. This study examines national trends, demographics, injury patterns, and clinical outcomes of e-scooter-related injuries.

Methods: This retrospective epidemiological cohort study used the ACS-TQIP-PUF database to evaluate pediatric and adult patients with e-scooter injuries between 2017 and 2023. Patients were stratified by age group, demographics, injury characteristics, helmet use, alcohol intoxication, and clinical outcomes.

Results: A total of 8728 patients with e-scooter injuries were included, with cases rising sharply from 38 in 2020-3858 in 2023. Most injured patients were male (73.3%) and young or early middle-aged adults (54.9%). Injuries were predominantly mild to moderate (ISS <16; 84.7%), with falls as the most common mechanism (60.2%). Mortality was low overall (0.9%), reaching 3.1% among older adults; however, 96.3% of all fatalities were the result of head or neck injuries. Most patients did not require ICU admission (79.8%), and the majority were hospitalized for 1-7 days. Alcohol intoxication was present in 16.5% of cases. Helmet use was rare (12.1%), and 90.8% of patients with head or neck injuries were unhelmeted.

Conclusion: The rise in E-scooter injury poses a growing public health concern. The most common mechanism was fall. Although extremity injuries predominate, head and neck trauma accounted for most E-scooter related fatalities. Low helmet use and alcohol involvement were associated with greater injury severity in the study population, highlighting the need for targeted prevention policies.