The number of patients being admitted to University Hospital Galway (UHG ) with e-scooter injuries is at its highest point in at least five years.
At least 53 patients have presented to UHG’s Emergency Department with e-scooter-related injuries so far this year, marking the highest average monthly attendance for such injuries since at least 2022, according to statistics provided by the hospital to the Advertiser.
“Despite the increased awareness of e-scooter injuries, we’re still seeing adults and children coming in with injuries,” said the Clinical Lead of UHG’s Emergency Department, Dr James Foley, when speaking to this publication.
The most common e-scooter injuries treated at UHG are broken arms, broken collarbones and other upper-limb injuries, as riders instinctively put their hands out to protect themselves during a fall. However, there has also been a rise in more serious injuries associated with the devices in recent months.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing much more serious injuries in both adults and children in recent months. Some of these injuries have unfortunately have bad outcomes, and some of them have needed transfer to Dublin because of the significance of head injuries in particular,” Dr Foley said.
“Your center of balance is completely skewed, it’s very hard to maintain control if you do have impact with a person, with a car, with a wall, with the curb, and you are very vulnerable when you fall.”
E-scooters are permitted on Irish public roads; however, users are not allowed to carry passengers or ride a device with a maximum speed exceeding 20 km/h.
New legislation, which will come into effect this August, will also make high-visibility jackets and helmets mandatory, while the legal age to ride an e-scooter will increase from 16 to 18.
Public awareness
Despite increased media attention, many members of the public remain unaware of the risks associated with e-scooters, and many patients presenting to UHG are using the devices illegally, according to Dr Foley.
“Yes, we are seeing people who are technically not supposed to be using them,” the clinical lead said.
“We’re still seeing children in particular come in with serious injuries from either being on e-scooters with parents, or being on e-scooters themselves, and I think the public aren’t aware really of the potential significance of these injuries.”
Dr Foley also said that pedestrians who were hit by e-scooters accounted for approximately 15 to 20 per cent of patients who attended UHG’s Emergency Department with injuries relating to the devices.
Pressure on hospitals
Although the impact of e-scooters on UHG is not as acute as it is in more specialist centres that treat serious head injuries, such as CHI Temple Street in Dublin, the pressure the devices place on emergency departments is still considerable.
“The impact of a serious e-scooter injury is seen in the ED and is seen in the hospital in general,” Dr Foley said.
“It is a public health issue, and if it continues in the same way, there will be a massive implication for public health. If you have an adult or a child who comes in with a significant head injury, that will demand a lot of resources. It will often need a transfer to a special centre in Dublin, such as Beaumount or Temple Street, if it’s a very bad head injury.
“It will also put downstream demand [if there is] a need for surgery, maybe a need for a bed in ICU.
“These injuries are preventable, and I think the general public needs to realise that an e-scooter is not just a toy, or a means of transport.”
