Riding a scooter = traumatic brain injury! Neurosurgeon Dr. Svetoslav Todorov in front of FACTS (PHOTOS)

Scooters are dangerous and carry serious risks for your life! If it is vital for you to use it - do it with safety devices! Dr. Svetoslav Todorov, neurosurgeon from UMBAL-Burgas and deputy director of UMBAL Burgas AD calls for this. The specialist showed vivid pictures of what happens in the brain after a hit with the recently modern scooters. This is what he shared with FACTS.

- Dr. Todorov, you have done more than a curious study. You matched pictures of brain injuries caused by falling off a roller coaster. What is seen, what is the conclusion?
- In the concrete case presented by me, with images from a computed tomography examination of the head due to a fall from a scooter, the images of severe craniocerebral trauma are presented, namely – hemorrhage under the dura mater, as well as contusion foci of the brain as a result of the craniocerebral trauma. Another typical example that can be depicted in this type of injury is a fracture of the skull accompanied by hemorrhage over the dura mater - ie. between the covering of the brain and the inner surface of the skull, caused by the rupture of a blood vessel. The conclusion is that in most cases of this type of severe craniocerebral trauma, it is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires urgent neurosurgical intervention in order to evacuate the hemorrhage.

- You're talking about brain hemorrhages and contusions! What are the mechanics to get such an injury. Doesn't it always happen when we fall and hit our head that way?
- Usually, the reason for receiving such a serious type of damage to our body is that, in addition to falling from one's own height, here it is accompanied by an acceleration rate depending on the power of the electric vehicle, it is also associated with head trauma on a hard surface - usually asphalt.

- A scooter doesn't seem like such a dangerous means of transportation, but is it…
- I would not say that it does not look dangerous - it is a narrow surface on which a person puts one leg behind the other and in a straight position of the body can develop a high speed without having any other point of support of the body on her except for her legs and arms.


- How frequent are accidents with injured people driving a scooter?
- In the last few years, during the warm months of the year, dozens of patients seek help at the medical facility every day as a result of falling from a scooter with different types of injuries on the whole body - head, spine, chest, abdomen or limbs.

- What is the average age of the patients, because mostly young people ride scooters?
- Children and young people are usually affected by such incidents. Out of the 70 patients who passed through the Multi-Profile Emergency Department of UMBAL Burgas, as a result of falling from a scooter in June, 33 were under 18 years old.
- How many deaths do you have in your practice?
- During the past summer season, there were 2 deaths, and so far there have been two deaths.

- Everyone thinks when they drive that "… this will not and cannot happen to me". And then…
- Then it happens and you rely on the doctors, but sometimes the disabilities are not compatible with life. Therefore, everyone must be reasonable and responsible in their behavior and actions. Avoid using this type of dangerous vehicle in the first place. If you are going to be transported by scooter, you must wear safety equipment and drive in the places allowed for this, observing the corresponding speed limit. With particular care to allow their use by small children, where attention should be paid to the fact that the law also requires the use of protective equipment.