Prehospital Trauma Life Support

Lesson

Introduction

PROVIDER COURSE

Developed by the

National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians

In cooperation with

The Committee on Trauma, American College of Surgeons

This slide presentation is intended for use only in approved PHTLS courses.

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Objectives
Rapid

and accurate assessment to determine the presence or potential for life threats. of shock and hypoxemia.

Identification Initiation

of intervention techniques.

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Have you seen this scenario before?

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Purpose of PHTLS Baselines

Identify areas for improvement.

Rapidly determine potential life-threatening injuries and priorities.

Develop a team approach.

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PHTLS History

continued...

Developed in response to a need for improved prehospital trauma care. Developed by the National Association of EMTs (NAEMT) in cooperation with the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

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PHTLS History
PHTLS has become a recognized standard in the prehospital management of trauma patients.

contd.

PHTLS has been adopted by international medical communities and is currently being offered in many foreign countries.
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Epidemiology of Trauma

continued...

Trauma is the leading cause of death in patients aged from 1 to 44 years old. Trauma is the third leading cause of death in all age groups. More than 60 million injuries occur annually in the United States alone.
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Epidemiology of Trauma

contd.

Trauma is a major problem worldwide.

Besides its direct costs, trauma also causes lost tax income, lost productivity, and lost years of life.

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Death, Disability & Intervention

How can EMS make a difference?

Death in the first hour. Death in the first four hours. Death in six weeks.

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Trauma is Staged Death

The

Golden Hour
10

Platinum 10 minutes

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Trauma Team - Golden Hour

Prehospital responders.

Transport services.
Emergency department. Operating suite.

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Trauma Centers
In-house surgical team.

Operating room available.

Expertise in dealing with traumatized patients.

Access to critical care and rehabilitation.

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The Platinum Ten Minutes

Identification of critical patients.

Assessment and treatment of lifethreatening injuries. Rapid extrication where indicated.

Timely transport to an appropriate facility. Early alerting of the receiving facility.
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Who is the most important person in trauma?

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Management Slide
What is the definitive care for trauma? What is our goal in the severely injured trauma patient?
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Components of PHTLS
Lectures. Hands-on skill stations. Final scenarios. Final written evaluation.

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Introduction Summary Trauma care is the area in

which YOU can make the largest impact on the

patients final outcome!

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