E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise in Children
Compared to 2011, the rate of hospital admittance due to e-scooter injuries has surged. In 2020, 1 out of every 8 required admittance into a hospital for care.
According to a new research abstract presented during the 2022 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, e-scooter injuries are becoming more common and increasingly severe.
E-scooter Injury Rates are Worse
"Our study has characterized the spectrum of injuries that occur in children, which helps emergency room doctors prepare for taking care of them and helps parents and families to practice better safety," Hayward added.‘The number of annual e-scooter injuries has increased from 2011 to 2020, likely due in some part to the rise in popularity of rideshare e-scooter apps.’
For the study, the team examined a national database of pediatric e-scooter injuries seen in emergency departments at over 100 US hospitals from 2011-2020 to find out what kinds of injuries children were sustaining and if any trends existed.
Over 10 percent of all patients had a head injury, including a concussion, skull fractures, and internal bleeding. The most common injuries were arm fractures (27 percent), followed by minor abrasions (22 percent) and lacerations needing stitches (17 percent).
The average age was 11.1 years and 59 percent of patients were male. Admittance to a hospital rose from 4.2 percent in 2011 to 12.9 percent in 2020.
Source: IANS