Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)
ATLS® Program History
In February 1976, a tragedy occurred that would change the first hour
of trauma care for patients. Dr. Jim Styner, and orthopedic surgeon,
crashed his small plane into a cornfield in Nebraska. He and three of his
children sustained critical injuries, one child sustained minor injuries,
and his wife was killed instantly. The care that he and his family
received was not adequate and it was evident there was an obvious lack of training for proper triage and
injury treatment. The surgeon, recognizing how inadequate his treatment was stated," when I can
provide better care in the field with limited resources that what my children and I received at the
primary care facility, there is something wrong with the system and the system has to be changed."
Program Development
A new approach to caring for individuals suffering major, life-threatening injury premiered in 1978, the
year of the first ATLS Course. In January 1980, the American College of Surgeons introduced the ATLS
Course in the U.S. and abroad. Canada joined the ATLS Program the following year. Several countries in
Latin and South America joined the ACS Committee on Trauma in 1986 and introduced the ATLS
Program in their region. Now, the ATLS program is found in over 50 countries. Under the auspices of the
ACS Military Committee on Trauma, the program has been conducted for U.S. military doctors in the
United States and around the world.
"For more than a quarter century, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma has taught
the ATLS course to over 1 million doctors in more than 50 countries. ATLS has become the foundation of
care for injured patients by teaching a common language and a common approach. The 8th edition was
created using an international, multidisciplinary, and evidence-based approach. The result is an ATLS
that is contemporary and meaningful in the global community."
John Fildes, MD, FACS
Chair, American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
ATLS® Program Overview
Injured patients present a wide range of complex problems and the ATLS Student Course presents a
concise approach to assessing and managing these patients. The course presents doctors with
knowledge and techniques that are comprehensive and easily adapted to fit their needs.
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and its Committee on Trauma (COT) developed the Advanced
Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Program for doctors; a systematic, concise training for the early care of
trauma patients. The ATLS Program provides participants with a safe, reliable method for immediate
management of the injured patient and the basic knowledge necessary to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Access the patient rapidly and accurately.
Prioritize resuscitation and stabilization.
Determine if the patient's needs exceed a facility's capacity.
Arrange appropriately for the patient's inter-hospital transfer (who, what, when, and how).
Assure that optimum care is provided and that the level of care does not deteriorate at any point
during the evaluation, resuscitation, or transfer process.
For doctors who infrequently treat trauma, the ATLS course provides an easily remembered method for
evaluating and treating the victim of a traumatic event. For those doctors who treat traumatic disease
on a frequent basis, the ATLS course provides a scaffold for evaluation, treatment, education, and
quality assurance- in short, a system of trauma care that is measurable, reproducible, and
comprehensive.
Information About the ATLS® Program and Courses
Need:
1. Injury is precipitous and indiscriminate
2. The doctor who first attends to the injured patient has the greatest opportunity to impact
outcome
3. The price of injury is excessive in dollars as well as human suffering
Program:
1. CME program developed by the ACS Committee on Trauma
2. One safe, reliable method for assessing and initially managing the trauma patient
3. Revised every four years to keep abreast of changes
Audience:
1.
Designed for doctors who care for injured patients
2.
Standards for successful completion established for doctors
3.
ACS verifies doctors' successful course completion
Benefits:
1. An organized approach for evaluation and management of seriously injured Patients
2. A foundation of common knowledge for all members of the trauma team
3. Applicable in both large urban centers and small rural emergency departments
Objectives:
1. Assess the patient's condition rapidly and accurately
2. Resuscitate and stabilize the patient according to priority
3. Determine if the patient's needs exceed a facility's capabilities
4. Arrange appropriately for the patient's definitive care
5. Ensure that optimum care is provided
Student Course:
1. Two-day course
2. Medical core content in an interactive format
3. Hands-on skills sessions in simulated trauma settings
4. Successful completion status valid for four years from course date
Student Refresher Course:
1. Provides doctors the opportunity to maintain a current status
2. ½-day or one-day course format
3. Content overview, triage scenarios, written and practical tests included
4. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) grants a six-month grace period to facilitate the
reverification process.
Instructor Course:
1. Student Course/Refresher participants, identified as having instructor potential may advance to
the Instructor Course within three years
2. Teaches the doctor how to teach the ATLS® Student Course
3. Eligibility to participate is limited to doctors in countries where the program has been
Introduced and promulgated by the ACS.
Accreditation:
The American College of Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical
Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
CME Credit:
The American College of Surgeons designates this educational activity for a maximum of * AMA PRA
Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their
participation in the activity.
*The maximum number of credits varies depending on the type of ATLS course.
Student and Instructor Re-verification:
If you have taken the Student Provider Course or have re-verified at the Student or Instructor level in
the past four years, and are currently pursuing re-verification; please follow the steps as outlined in the
current edition of the ATLS® Faculty Manual.
If you need further assistance, please contact the ATLS Office at 312-202-5160 or email [email protected].