PHTLS Australia Mission Statement
To encourage and develop excellence through a multidisciplinary approach to the management of trauma.
PHTLS Australia Vision
PHTLS will become the definitive standard of pre-hospital trauma care in Australia, aligned with the international PHTLS program, helping to save lives and improve patient outcomes.
The course will emphasis flexible delivery especially to rural and remote locations to meet specified areas of need.
The prime motivation of participants will be to reduce morbidity and mortality.
PHTLS International Mission Statement
The PHTLS program of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) serves trauma victims through the global education of prehospital providers. With medical oversight from the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma (ACS/COT), the PHTLS program develops and disseminates educational materials and scientific information, and promotes excellence in trauma management by all providers involved in the delivery of prehospital care.
History of PHTLS
The Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) course was developed by the Prehospital Trauma Life Support Committee of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) in cooperation with the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons in 1981.
Queensland Health introduced PHTLS to Australia in 1997 as part of its commitment to improving the health of people living in rural and remote areas.
Improved survival rates occur if initial assessment is fast, accurate and appropriate.
Competent patient assessment and intervention are the most important skills the pre-hospital clinician can provide for the trauma victim.
About PHTLS
The PHTLS course is a unique two-day multidisciplinary continuing education program designed to increase knowledge and skills in delivering critical care in front line pre-hospital trauma care and the handling of trauma patients.
PHTLS teaches students to deal with trauma where there may be some delay in transferring the patient to a healthcare facility. This is particularly true of Queensland where the tyranny of distance means it can be some hours before a patient involved in a trauma receives care outside of that given by the first to the scene.
What is so special about the PHTLS course?
It is multidisciplinary. Participants include any first responder such as doctors, registered nurses, paramedics, enrolled nurses, wardspeople, assistants in nursing, indigenous health workers, mine rescue squads, fire and rescue officers and defence force members.
It is teamwork. PHTLS helps to bridge the gap from the field to the hospital by creating a shared learning experience in an environment of mutual respect for all health care professionals.
It is consistent. The backing and support of an international organisation ensures consistency in all PHTLS programs.
It is proven. PHTLS provides an opportunity to improve the quality of trauma care and has been shown to improve mortality and morbidity rates.
It is critical thinking. PHTLS promotes critical thinking as the foundation for providing quality care and helps providers make informed decisions in the field.
It is international. PHTLS is delivered in 33 countries in North america, South America, Europe and the Middle East.
PHTLS Outcomes
The PHTLS Course provides the participant with the fundamental awareness that while definitive care cannot be provided for the critically injured trauma patient in the field, the continuum of care begins at the scene with competent pre-hospital trauma management.
PHTLS provides individuals with a simple problem solving approach to assessment and management of patients.
PHTLS promotes a team approach to the management of trauma patients from the scene of the accident with stabilisation of life threatening injuries.
PHTLS demonstrates how to to identify, stabilise, treat and transport trauma patients with the highest level of care and give them the greatest chance of survival.
PHTLS principles can be applied in daily patient management: in the hospital, surgery, nursing home - anywhere!
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The PHTLS Team
There are currently 60 accredited Instructors across Australia.
In Queensland, Instructors are from Queensland Health, Queensland Ambulance Service, the Australian Defence Force, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
There are also Instructors in New South Wales, Victoria, Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia.
The PHTLS course consists of a mixture of lectures and practical skills stations
Students on a PHTLS course learn to:
Identify the mechanism of injury
Interpret signs and symptoms
Recognise life-threatening injuries
Perform appropriate interventions
Identify a trauma patient with multiple injuries
Lecture topics include:
Kinematics of Trauma
Airway Management and Ventilation
Spinal, Head and Thoracic Trauma
Patient assessment & Management
Abdominal Trauma/Trauma in Pregnancy
Considerations in the Paediatric and Elderly Patient
Shock and Fluid Resuscitation
Thermal Trauma Injuries
Golden Principles of Prehospital Trauma Care
Teaching skills stations include:
Spinal Immobilisation
Patient Assessment and Management
Basic Airway
Advanced Airway
Rapid Extrication
Paediatric Assessment & Management/Paediatric Immobilisation
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Student Admission Minimum Requirements:
Health care providers should have clinical experience in either emergency or critical care in the immediate hospital setting or pre hospital.
All participants should have general first aid knowledge and an understanding of emergency care terminology and familiarity with standard emergency equipment.
Course Completion:
Participants are required to participate in the full 2 days / 17 hours to achieve a Certificate of Attendance.
To successfully complete the course and receive the NAEMT Advanced Provider Accreditation, participants must complete the written multiple-choice examination with a mark of 76% or greater and successfully complete four skill stations.
CDP Points:
PHTLS is an approved national educational activity of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (30 points Activity No: 716531) and 30 points Activity No: 716532 - a total of 60 points over the 2 day course).
Course Fees:
Course fees should be paid upon registration. The PHTLS Course is deemed to be a "life-saving" course, therefore no GST applies.
Course Numbers:
Minimum of sixteen students.
Disclaimer:
Participants may choose to practice procedures that are outside their scope of practice. It should be recognised that:
PHTLS is a multidisciplinary course.
During skills stations all course participants will have the opportunity to practice skills that may normally be outside the scope of practice of their normal working environment.
Participants must recognise that this in no way implies that they will be able to perform the skills once back in their working environment (unless authorised by their relevant employer).
It is important, however, that no matter what their range of skills they are able to assess and manage life threats and assist with advanced procedures.
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Significant Achievements:
November 2000 - Winner of the Premier's Award for Leadership and Management Excellence in Public Sector Management and finalist in the Awards category Services to Rural and Regional Queensland.
Queensland Transport nominated the Queensland Health PHTLS Program for this award because it recognised that the program is a major and significant initiative to improve the toll from trauma in rural and remote Queensland and has a direct impact on saving lives.
Over 2600 students have participated in PHTLS courses in Queensland since 1997.
An evaluation to provide a broader understanding of the management of patients with traumatic injury and to examine the impact that participants in a Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support Course has on the overall management of severe injury in rural and remote areas in Queensland has commenced.
A grant funded by the Motor Accidents Insurance Commission (MAIC) to the Australian Centre for PreHospital Research (ACPHR) will see an evaluation of the Course. Course participants and Instructors from 1997 - 2001 were invited to participate by personal interview and survey.
October 2002 - Dr Nikki Blackwell (Medical Director PHTLS Australia 1997 - 2002) was awarded the Dr Scott B Frame Service Award by the PHTLS Executive Council NAMET Outlook 2002 Conference in Nashville, USA.
Disaster Preparedness:
The SDC is currently working on a range of courses to provide healthcare professionals with the skills to deal with a wide gamut of disaster scenarios.
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