Segway® Personal Transporter-Related Injuries: A Systematic Literature Review and Implications for Acute and Emergency Care

Abstract

Background: The Segway® Personal Transporter™ (SPT) is used widely as a means of transport for city sightseeing tours, law enforcement, and professionals working in large facilities and factories.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature to assess SPT-related injuries. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines, we queried PubMed from 1990 to 2017. The search terms Segway, personal transporter, and injury were used. Only English-language studies were included. Data were extracted from each article, specifically the sample size, study setting, and design, as well as the prevalence of specific injuries.

Results: A total of six articles were included that included data on 135 patients. Sample size per study varied from 1 to 41 patients. Studies occurred in both the emergency department and inpatient settings, including medical-surgical wards, and intensive care units. The most commonly reported injuries were orthopedic cases (n = 45), maxillofacial cases (n = 13), neurologic cases (n = 8), and thoracic cases (n = 10).

Conclusions: The SPT is an innovative transportation method; however, its use is associated with a wide range of injuries. Many of these injuries require hospital admission and surgical intervention, incurring significant morbidity and high costs.

Keywords: Segway; injury; personal transporter.