Electric-bicycles and speed-related trauma in pediatrics: Risk of internal injury and hospitalization

Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are becoming increasingly popular, offering higher speeds compared to traditional pedal bicycles. Despite their growing use, there is limited data on the epidemiology of e-bike related injuries in the pediatric population. Specifically, previous studies have not adequately explored the injury circumstances regarding e-bikes, particularly concerning loss of control due to speed. This study aims to assess the patterns and outcomes of e-bike injuries in children, hypothesizing that speeds higher than 20 miles per hour (MPH) result in more internal injuries necessitating hospital admission.

This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, specifically targeting pediatric ages 0-18 e-bike injuries recorded between 2019 and 2023. We utilized natural language processing techniques to extract narratives from the database, identifying words related to the circumstances of injury, and distinguishing between speed-related incidents vs. non-speed-related incidents. The cohort was divided into two groups based on the identified cause: injuries due to increased speed and injuries attributed to other causes. We then conducted bivariate analyses to compare the characteristics and outcomes between these groups, focusing on the type of injury, its severity, and the need for hospital admission.

A national estimate of 15,121 pediatric patients with injuries related to e-bikes (79.7% males and 71.3% adolescents aged 13-18) were identified. Injuries attributed to speed were associated with a higher incidence of head, neck, or facial injuries (49.1%¦vs 28.7%) compared to those resulting from other causes. A greater proportion of children with speed-related injuries sustained internal organ injuries (24.1%¦vs. 10.4%) and were admitted to the hospital (7.3%¦vs.4.7%). Of those injuries specified as "internal" 96.7% were head and neck injuries compared to 3.3% other anatomic sites. Over the five-year study period, the frequency of e-bike injuries showed a sharp increase, with 4.18% occurring in 2019 and 49.8% in 2023.

Pediatric e-bike injuries have increased in frequency and can be severe, requiring hospitalization. The findings highlight the risks associated with speeds higher than 20 MPH on e-bikes and the need for targeted safety measures and legislation especially related to prevention of head injuries. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of safety interventions, including helmet usage and speed control features on e-bikes.

retrospective cross-sectional study.