PRE-HOSPITAL TRAUMA LIFE SUPPORT (PHTLS)

 

The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) 

Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) is recognized around the world

as the leading continuing education program for prehospital emergency

trauma care.  The mission of PHTLS is to promote excellence in trauma

patient management by all providers involved in the delivery of

prehospital care through global education.  PHTLS is developed by

NAEMT in cooperation with the American College of Surgeons'

Committee on Trauma. The Committee provides the medical direction

and content oversight for the PHTLS program.  

 

The program is based on a pre-hospital trauma care philosophy,

stressing the treatment of the multi-system trauma patient as a

unique entity with specific needs. This may require an approach to the

trauma patient that varies from traditional treatment modalities. PHTLS

promotes critical thinking as the foundation for providing quality care. It is based on the belief that, given a good fund of knowledge and key principles, pre-hospital practitioners are capable of making reasoned decisions regarding patient care. The PHTLS course is continuously updated and revised to keep up with the advances in the field, ATLS Guidelines and feedback from PHTLS participants.

 

PHTLS Course Objectives:

 

• To provide a description of the physiology, patho-physiology, and kinetics of injury.

• To provide an understanding of the need for a rapid assessment of the trauma patient.

• To advance the participant's level of knowledge in regard to examination and diagnostic skills.

• To advance the participant's level of competence in regard to specific pre-hospital trauma intervention skills.

• To provide an overview and establish a management method for the pre-hospital care of the multi-system trauma patient.