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Multicenter Study
. 2023 Jun 1;6(6):e2320960.
doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.20960.

Comparison of Injuries Associated With Electric Scooters, Motorbikes, and Bicycles in France, 2019-2022

Arthur James  1 , Anatole Harrois  2 , Paer-Selim Abback  3 , Jean Denis Moyer  4 , Caroline Jeantrelle  5 , Jean-Luc Hanouz  4   6 , Mathieu Boutonnet  7   8 , Thomas Geeraerts  9 , Anne Godier  10 , Julien Pottecher  11 , Delphine Garrigue-Huet  12 , Jean Cotte  13 , Jean Pasqueron  14 , Arnaud Foucrier  5   15 , Tobias Gauss  16 , Mathieu Raux  17 ; French Observatory for Major Trauma (TraumaBase)
Collaborators, Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Comparison of Injuries Associated With Electric Scooters, Motorbikes, and Bicycles in France, 2019-2022

Arthur James et al. JAMA Netw Open. .

Abstract

Importance: Electric scooter (e-scooter) use is increasing in France and in many urban environments worldwide. Yet little is known about injuries associated with use of e-scooters.

Objective: To describe characteristics and outcomes of major trauma involving e-scooters.

Design, setting, and participants: A multicenter cohort study was conducted in France using the national major trauma registry between January 1, 2019, and December 20, 2022. All patients admitted to a participating major trauma center following a road traffic crash (RTC) involving an e-scooter, a bicycle, or a motorbike were included.

Exposure: Included patients were compared according to the 3 mechanisms.

Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcome was trauma severity as defined by the Injury Severity Score (ISS). Secondary outcomes included the trends of the number of patients per year, a comparison of the RTC epidemiologic factors, injury severity, resources used, and in-hospital outcomes.

Results: A total of 5233 patients involved in RTCs were admitted (median age, 33 [IQR, 24-48] years; 4629 [88.5%] men; median ISS, 13 [IQR, 8-22]). The population included 229 e-scooter RTCs (4.4%), 4094 motorbike RTCs (78.2%), and 910 bicycle RTCs (17.4%). The number of patients treated following e-scooter RTCs increased by 2.8-fold in 4 years (from 31 in 2019 to 88 in 2022), while bicycle RTCs increased by 1.2-fold and motorbike RTCs decreased by 0.9-fold. At admission, 36.7% of e-scooter users had a blood alcohol content higher than the legal threshold (n = 84) and 22.5% wore a protective helmet (n = 32). Among e-scooter RTCs, 102 patients (45.5%) had an ISS of 16 or higher. This proportion was similar for patients with motorbike RTCs (1557 [39.7%]; P = .10) and bicycle RTCs (411 [47.3%]; P = .69). With a proportion of 25.9% (n = 50), patients with e-scooter RTCs had twice as many severe traumatic brain injuries (Glasgow Coma Scale ≤8) as motorbike RTCs (445 [11.8%]) and a proportion comparable to bicycle RTCs (174 [22.1%]). The mortality of e-scooter RTCs was 9.2% (n = 20), compared with 5.2% (n = 196) (P = .02) for motorbikes and 10.0% (n = 84) (P = .82) for bicycles.

Conclusions and relevance: The findings of this study suggest that trauma involving e-scooters in France has significantly increased over the past 4 years. These patients presented with injury profiles as severe as those of individuals who experienced bicycle or motorbike RTCs, with a higher proportion of severe traumatic brain injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Harrois reported receiving financial support from Agence régionale de Santé Île de France Financial for data collection during the conduct of the study; personal fees from LFB for an educational program in trauma outside the submitted work. Dr Godier reported receiving personal fees from LFB, Octapharma, and CSL Behring for conferences outside the submitted work. Dr Pottecher reported receiving grants from LFB Biomedicaments, Acticor, AOP Orphan, and Masimo outside the submitted work. Dr Foucrier reported receiving other from ARS Île-de-France data management during the conduct of the study. Dr Gauss reported receiving personal fees from Laboratoire du Biomédicament Français outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure.
Figure.. Four-Year Evolution of the Number of Patients Admitted in the Participating Major Trauma Centers
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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