LAUSR

BACKGROUND Since the introduction of electric scooters (e-scooters), there has been a rise in related injuries and subsequent healthcare burden. There is a paucity of published research regarding paediatric e-scooter injuries in Australia. This study describes the admissions and severity of paediatric trauma secondary to e-scooters at Queensland's largest paediatric trauma centre. METHODS After obtaining ethics approval, a retrospective review of paediatric trauma related to e-scooters was performed from the Queensland Children's Hospital Trauma Registry between January 2009 and September 2024. Patients included were those 16 years and under admitted to the hospital for greater than 24 h with injuries sustained from e-scooters. Primary outcome measures were mortality rate, injury and operative characteristics. RESULTS There were 64 paediatric patients with injuries related to e-scooters. Males accounted for 76.6% of patients, with a median age of 13. Major injuries accounted for 29.7% of injuries. The head was the most common body region injured (51.6%), followed by lacerations and contusions (42.2%). Fractures were the most common injury type (78.1%). There were two deaths, both of children with traumatic brain injuries who were not wearing helmets. Of those 42 injured riders whose helmet status was documented, 64.3% were not wearing helmets. Surgery was required in 65.6% of patients, with 50.0% undergoing orthopaedic surgery, 28.3% requiring wound management and 28.6% requiring neurosurgery. CONCLUSION E-scooter trauma remains a topical area of public safety discussion. We present a hospital perspective demonstrating that these injuries are fatal and on the rise.