PHTLS - Prehospital Trauma Life Support
Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) is recognized around the world as the leading continuing education program for prehospital emergency trauma care.
PHTLS promotes excellence in trauma patient management through global education of all providers involved in the delivery of prehospital care. PHTLS is developed by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians in cooperation with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
PHTLS courses improve the quality of trauma care in your area and decrease mortality. The program is based on a prehospital 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, EMS providers 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 programs are developed from the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Program, a course for physicians developed by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. They follow the principles of trauma care developed by the Committee on Trauma. The Committee provides the medical direction and content oversight for the PHTLS program.
Although PHTLS originated in the United States, it has evolved and now serves as an international education program available to EMS providers in 33 countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
- For information on establishing a PHTLS course site in your area, please refer to our list of PHTLS Regional,State and Affiliate Faculty. For a complete list of Committee on trauma chairs in your area, please refer to our list of COT Chairs.
- Purchase PHTLS Textbooks, logo wear, lapel pins and much more at our EMS Online Store.
- For more information about PHTLS, including biographies on the members of the PHTLS Committee, the history of PHTLS, and additional information about trauma care, click here.
- See our section on Frequently Asked Questions to read the answers to the most common questions asked about the PHTLS program and running a course.