Facing Facts: Facial Injuries From Stand-Up Electric Scooters

BackgroundStand-up electric scooters (SES) are a popular public transportation method. Numerous safety concerns have arisen since their recent introduction.MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients presenting to the emergency departments in Indianapolis, who sustained SES-related injuries.ResultsA total of 89 patients were included in our study. The average patient age was 29 +/- 12.9 years in a predominantly male cohort (65.2%). No patient was documented as wearing a helmet during the event of injury. Alcohol intoxication was noted in 14.6% of accidents. Falling constituted the leading trauma mechanism (46.1%). Injuries were most common on Saturday (24.7%) from 14h00 to 21h59 (55.1%). Injury types included: abrasions/contusions (33.7%), fractures (31.5%), lacerations (27.0%), or joint injuries (18.0%). The head and neck region (H&N) was the most frequently affected site (42.7%). Operative management under general anesthesia was necessary for 13.5% of injuries. Nonoperative management primarily included conservative orthopedic care (34.8%), pain management with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (34.8%) and/or opioids (4.5%), bedside laceration repairs (27.0%), and wound dressing (10.1%). Individuals sustaining head and neck injuries were more likely to be older (33.8 vs. 25.7 years, p=0.003), intoxicated by alcohol (29.0% vs. 3.9%, p=0.002), and requiring CT imaging (60.5% vs. 9.8%, p <0.001).ConclusionAlthough SESs provide a convenient transportation modality, unregulated use raises significant safety concerns. More data need to he collected to guide future safety regulations.