Emergency department impact following the introduction of an electric scooter sharing service.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to describe the impact on the single ED serving Dunedin, New Zealand, following the introduction of an electric-scooter (e-scooter) sharing service.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study comparing the number of vehicle related injuries during identical 6-week periods in 2018 and 2019 was performed. A descriptive analysis of the subset of e-scooter related presentations was undertaken.


RESULTS
A total of 172 and 228 vehicle related injury presentations were identified in samples from 2018 and 2019, respectively. During the 2018 study period zero e-scooter related ED presentations were identified. In 2019 there were 56 e-scooter related ED presentations (P-value <0.001) representing 54 events. There were 52 car, 21 motorbike and 62 bicycle related presentations during the same 2019 time period. Further descriptive analysis showed the majority of e-scooter presentations were for minor injury. Fractures or dislocations were found in 17 (32%) patients and 14 (26%) patients sustained a head injury, one of which was severe. Isolated minor musculoskeletal injuries were seen in 25 (46%) patients. On average one ED bed was occupied by an e-scooter patient for 2 h and 44 min each day during the 6-week study period in 2019.


CONCLUSION
The introduction of an e-scooter sharing service resulted in a new injury hazard. Our study presents the number of e-scooter related ED presentations relative to other vehicles related injury visits and describes the injury patterns associated with e-scooter use which may inform future public policy.
['Beck|Sierra|S|0000-0002-1614-5058', 'Barker|Luke|L|', 'Chan|Annie|A|', 'Stanbridge|Signe|S|']
D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital D050723:Fractures, Bone D006801:Humans D009049:Motorcycles D012189:Retrospective Studies
electric scooter injury emergency medicine wound and injury