Popular pastime sending more Americans to ER with devastating injuries
Fewer than one-third of riders wore helmets, which was linked to a “significantly higher rate” of brain and facial injuries. The study found that 20% of patients tested positive for alcohol, which was associated with more severe head trauma and lower rates of helmet use.
Pedestrians struck by electric vehicles suffered brain injuries at nearly twice the rate of riders, according to an analysis of 69 pedestrian cases.
Pedestrians struck by electric vehicles suffered brain injuries at nearly double the rate of riders, researchers found. (iStock)
Corresponding author Hannah Weiss, M.D., a resident in the Department of Neurosurgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, commented in a statement that these findings suggest “micromobility injuries are producing serious brain and spinal trauma that demands neurosurgical care at a scale we haven’t seen before.”
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“In a busy urban setting, we are seeing more and more of these injuries firsthand,” she went on. “The data point to actionable solutions – helmet use, safer bike lane design and enforcement — that could prevent many of these injuries and better protect both riders and pedestrians.”
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Paul P. Huang, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and chief of neurosurgery at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, added that the study highlights that “urban infrastructure must continue to improve to keep pace with the rapid rise of electric bikes and scooters.”
“Future studies should track these injuries across multiple cities and measure whether protected bike lanes, helmet programs and speed enforcement actually reduce the number of brain and spine surgeries we perform,” Huang said.
Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/popular-pastime-sending-more-americans-er-devastating-injuries