PHTLS Provider

Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) courses are nationally recognized continuing education programs for prehospital emergency health care professionals that bring the care of the trauma patient into a single focus. They are co-sponsored by the National Association of EMT’s and the American College of Surgeons. 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. The PHTLS course is designed to provide the practicing prehospital care provider with a specific body of knowledge related to the prehospital assessment and care of the trauma patient. It is stressed that this is a continuing education program and contains information that may be a review for some or all participants. The uniqueness of this program rests not with an entirely new body of knowledge but instead with advances in prehospital trauma intervention techniques. We are using new combinations and application of existing skills and knowledge to better our patients’ chances at surviving traumatic events. Pre-course materials are provided and pre-course assignments must be completed.