• Ophelie Lavoie-Gagne, Matthew Siow, William Harkin, Alec R Flores, Paul J Girard, Alexandra K Schwartz, and William T Kent.
• University of California, San Diego Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Diego, CA, USA. Electronic address: olavoieg@health.ucsd.edu.
• Am J Emerg Med. 2021 Jul 1; 45: 129-136.

BackgroundElectric scooters (e-scooters) have become a widespread method of transportation. The purpose of this study is to provide risk stratification tools for modifiable risk factors associated with e-scooter injury morbidity.MethodsPatients at an urban Level 1 Trauma center sustaining e-scooter injuries between November 2017 through March 2020 were identified. Primary outcomes of interest were major trauma, as defined by an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15, or hospital admission.ResultsA total of 442 patients sustained orthopaedic (51%), facial (31%), cranial (13%), and chest/abdominal injuries (4.5%). Rate of helmet use was 2.5%, hospital admission was 40.7%, and intensive care was 3%. Patients with facial injuries were half as likely to sustain major trauma as compared to orthopaedic injuries (p < 0.05). Factors with higher likelihood of hospital admission included age > 40 years (OR 4.20, p < 0.01), alcohol or other substance intoxication (OR 4.14 and 9.87, p < 0.001), loss of consciousness (OR 2.72, p < 0.003), or transport to the hospital by ambulance (OR 4.47, p < 0.001).ConclusionsThere is a substantial proportion of major trauma within e-scooter injuries. Modifiable risk factors for hospital admission include use of head protection and substance use while riding e-scooters.Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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