Oral and maxillofacial injuries associated with e-scooter use at Broomfield Hospital: a cohort study of 24 months of data since e-scooter legalisation in the UK

Abstract

Introduction Rental electronic scooters (e-scooters) were legalised in July 2020 in the UK for use on public roads. This has led to higher numbers of emergency department (ED) attendances for head and neck injuries managed by the oral and maxillofacial surgical (OMFS) department. Aim The aim of this research is to assess the increase in e-scooter injuries requiring OMFS input and analyse factors and management associated. Method Data were collected over a 24-month period. A total of 212 e-scooter-related ED presentations were recorded, with 34 patients requiring input from the OMFS department. For the patients referred to OMFS, numerical and categorical factors used independent T-tests and one-way Analysis of Variance tests, respectively, to determine statistical significance at the 5% confidence level (p <0.05). Results The mean age was 32.8 years (SD = 15.9) in a predominately male cohort (79.4%). Alcohol intoxication was observed in 55.8% of accidents. Injuries were most common on Saturdays (41.2%). Soft tissue injuries were present in 64.7% of patients, bony injuries in 38.2% of patients and dental injuries in 11.8% of patients. Imaging was required for 76.5% of patients. In total, 44% of patients required surgical treatment, 5.9% required major surgery and 38.2% required minor surgery. Conclusion This research supports the literature suggesting significant growth in e-scooter-related injuries and their associated burden of conditions managed by the OMFS department.