PHTLS courses provide a prehospital trauma care philosophy, stressing the need to treat the multisystem 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 courses are based on the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), a course for physicians developed by the American College of Surgeons-Committee on Trauma. More importantly, PHTLS courses follow the principles of care of trauma patients as developed by the Committee on Trauma.

The Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons provides the medical direction and content oversight for the PHTLS program. They are represented by the medical directors on the Executive Council of the PHTLS Division of the National Association of EMTs. (Reproduced from the PHTLS 5th edition Instructor Text-Copyright 2003, Mosby, Inc.

Please click here to visit the Pre Hospital Trauma Life Support website for additional information.