Paediatric electric-scooter injuries: an emerging public health crisis?
When managing pediatric trauma from e-scooters, remember that while limb injuries are numerically most common, head injury potential for major morbidity is high. Focus on thoroughly assessing mechanisms involving motor vehicles or fixed objects, as these correlate with the highest AIS scores. Given the low helmet compliance reported, aggressive counseling regarding safety equipment and environmental awareness is crucial at discharge.
This retrospective analysis reviewed e-scooter related trauma in pediatric patients across three UK centers over a six-year period, confirming that these injuries are on the rise. The most frequently encountered sites of injury were the limbs, followed by the head and face. Notably, while limb injuries were the most common overall, head injuries carried a significant risk profile, with 10.4% of those cases presenting as major trauma (AIS ≥ 3) requiring extensive management. A concerning finding is that the vast majority of serious incidents involved collisions with motor vehicles or fixed objects, and helmet use was alarmingly low at only 1.8%. Given the increasing incidence and severity, this underscores a genuine public health concern regarding e-scooter use in children.