The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and its Committee on Trauma (COT) has developed the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Program for Doctors, a systematic, concise system for training in the early care of trauma patients. It provides participants with a safe, reliable method for immediate management of the injured patient and the basic knowledge necessary to:
1. Assess the patient’s condition rapidly and accurately
2. Resuscitate and stabilize the patient depending on priority
3. Determine whether the patient’s needs exceed a facility’s capabilities
4. Make appropriate arrangements for the patient’s interhospital transfer
(what, who, when, how)
5. Ensure that optimal care is provided
The ACS ATLS Program has been developed in Switzerland by the ATLS Switzerland Committee of the Swiss Surgical Society (SGC/SSC) in accordance with the guidelines of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
