• Seraj Moati, Oren Tavor, Tali Capua, Igor Sukhotnik, Miguel Glatstein, Ayelet Rimon, and Neta Cohen.
• From the Departments of Pediatrics.
• Pediatr Emerg Care. 2024 Oct 30.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to describe the incidence and severity of electrical bicycle (E-bike)- and power scooter (P-scooter)-related injuries and their secular trends among pediatric patients presenting to a pediatric emergency department (ED).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study of patients aged <18 years who sustained E-bike and P-scooter injuries was performed between 2018 and 2023. We explored trends of severe trauma cases, ED visits, hospitalizations, and surgical interventions. Severity of trauma was rated by either an injury severity score (ISS) of >15 or the patient's need for acute care as defined by intensive care unit (ICU) admission, direct disposition to the operating room, acute interventions performed in the trauma room, and in-hospital death.ResultsOf the 1466 pediatric patients who presented to our pediatric ED following P-scooter and E-bike injuries, 216 (14.7%) were hospitalized, with a median age of 14.0 years (interquartile range, 10.5-16.0 years) and male predominance (69.0%). The number of ED visits increased 3.5-fold by study closure, with a parallel increase in hospitalizations, surgical interventions, and severe trauma cases. The relative percentages of severe trauma cases were not significantly different over time. Among hospitalized patients, 3 patients (1.4%) died and 9 (4.1%) required rehabilitation care.ConclusionsThe incidence and severity of E-bike and P-scooter injuries and fatalities continue to increase within the pediatric population. Current personal and road safety regulations are providing inadequate in preventing these injuries, highlighting an urgent need for revision and stricter enforcement.Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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