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Background. Current recommendations regarding children traveling in passenger vehicles equipped with passenger air bags are based, in part, on evidence that the air-bag-related risk of injury and death is higher for children [less than or equal to] 12 years of age. However, the age or body size required to allow a child to be seated safely in front of a passenger air bag is unknown. Objective. To evaluate specific cutoff points for age, height, and weight as effect modifiers of the association between the presence of a passenger air bag and serious injury among children involved in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs), while controlling for important crash factors. Design. A national population-based cohort of children involved in MVCs and included in the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) Crashworthiness Data System (CDS) database from 1995 to 2002 was studied. NASS CDS clusters, strata, and weights were included in all analyses. Subjects. Children 0 to 18 years of age involved in MVCs and seated in the right front passenger seat. Main Outcome Measure. Serious injury, defined as an Abbreviated Injury Scale score of [greater than or equal to] 3 for any body region. Results. A total of 3790 patients (1 month to 18 years of age) were represented in the NASS CDS database during the 8-year period. Sixty children (1.6%) were seriously injured (Abbreviated Injury Scale score of [greater than or equal to] 3). Among age, height, and weight, age of 0 to 14 years (versus 15-18 years) was the only consistent effect modifier of the association between air-bag presence (or airbag deployment) and serious injury, particularly for crashes with a moderate probability of injury. In analyses stratified according to age and adjusted for important crash factors, children 0 to 14 years of age involved in frontal collisions seemed to be at increased risk of serious injury from air-bag presence (odds ratio [OR]: 2.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-30.9) and deployment (OR: 6.13; 95% CI: 0.30-126), although these values did not reach statistical significance. Among children 15 to 18 years of age involved in frontal collisions, there was a protective effect on injury from both air-bag presence (OR: 0.19; 95% Ch 0.05-0.75) and deployment (OR: 0.31; 95% Ch 0.09-0.99). These findings persisted in analyses involving all collision types. We did not identify similar cutoff points for height or weight. Conclusions. Children up to 14 years of age may be at risk for serious preventable injury when seated in front of a passenger air bag, and children 15 to 18 years of age seem to experience protective effects of air-bag presence and deployment. Age may be a better marker than height or weight for risk assessment regarding children and air bags. Pediatrics 2005;115:1579-1585; air bag, motor vehicle crash, children, age, height, weight. ABBREVIATIONS. NASS, National Automotive Sampling System; NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; MVC, motor vehicle crash; CDS, Crashworthiness Data System; AIS, Abbreviated Injury Scale; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval., In 1995, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a press release with a strong warning that air bags may pose significant risks of injury and death for children. [...]

All academic medical specialties have the obligation to continuously create new knowledge that will improve patient care and outcomes. Emergency medicine (EM) is no exception. Since its origins over 50 years ago, EM has struggled to fulfill its research mission. EM ranks last among clinical specialties in the percentage of medical school faculty who are National Institutes of Health (NIH)‐funded principal investigators (PIs; 1.7%) and the percentage of medical school departments with NIH‐funded PIs (33%). Although there has been a steady increase in the number of NIH‐funded projects and total NIH dollars, the slowing growth in the number of NIH‐funded PIs and lack of growth in the number of EM departments with NIH‐funded PIs is cause for concern. In response, the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine (AACEM) Research Task Force proposes a set of 2030 strategic goals for the EM research enterprise that are based on sustaining historic growth rates in NIH funding. These goals have been endorsed by the AACEM Executive Committee and the boards of Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), and American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM). The 2030 strategic goals include 200 NIH‐funded projects led by 150 EM PIs in at least 50 EM departments with over $100M in annual funding resulting in over 3% of EM faculty being NIH‐funded PIs. Achieving these goals will require a targeted series of focused strategies to increase the number of EM faculty who are competitive for NIH funding. This requires a coordinated, intentional effort with investments at the national, departmental, and individual levels. These efforts are ideally led by medical school department chairs, who can create the culture and provide the resources needed to be successful. The specialty of EM has the obligation to improve the health of the public and to fulfill its research mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]