Can J Emerg Med
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Comparative Study
Important returns on investment: an evaluation of a national research grants competition in emergency medicine.
We sought to examine scholarly outcomes of the projects receiving research grants from the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) during the first 10 years of national funding (i.e., between 1996 and 2005). ⋯ Overall, the CAEP Research Grants Competition has produced impressive results. Despite the small sums available, the grants have been important for ensuring study completion and for securing additional funding. CAEP and similar EM organizations need to develop a more robust funding approach so that larger grant awards and more researchers can be supported on an annual basis.
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Despite successful large-scale immunization programs in North America, there remains a significant population without active immunity to tetanus toxins because immunizations have been refused or delayed, and because of waning immunity. We report the case of a 7-year-old boy who presented to the emergency department with a chin laceration and a 7-day history of repeated falls of increasing frequency. ⋯ The patient was subsequently diagnosed with tetanus and treated accordingly. Tetanus presentations to emergency departments may vary from mild muscular rigidity to advanced respiratory failure and thus clinicians should consider the diagnosis in various clinical presentations, especially in areas remote from advanced supportive care.