Patterns of Injuries in Danish Motorcyclists Requiring Air Ambulance Activation: A 5-Year Review

Powered 2-wheeler (PTW) riders are a highly vulnerable road-user group who frequently require helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) for critical care and transport. This study aimed to describe the population of injured PTW riders attended by the Danish Air Ambulance and compare them with the wider Danish HEMS trauma population.

This was a retrospective population-based study of Danish HEMS missions from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2023, including all primary missions involving a PTW patient. Data were collected from the Danish HEMS database on patient demographics, vehicle type, interventions performed, and destination. We also registered International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, diagnoses and National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) scores.

A total of 228 patients (90% male) were included. The most common diagnosis was unspecified multiple injuries (49%), indicating polytrauma. Significant differences were noted between vehicle types: 58% of injured motorcyclists were involved in accidents with another vehicle, whereas 59% of scooter rider incidents were single vehicle. Notably, 67% of PTW patients were assigned a NACA score of ≥4, and 71% required at least 1 prehospital intervention. Most were transported to a major trauma center (MTC) (85% of motorcyclists vs. 76% of scooter riders). Compared with the general Danish HEMS trauma population, PTW patients had higher NACA scores, were more likely to be conveyed to MTCs, and more frequently required prehospital interventions.

PTW riders attended to by the Danish Air Ambulance represent a severely injured patient cohort who more frequently require advanced prehospital treatment and transport than the wider trauma population.