PHTLS: Prehospital Trauma Life Support, Military Edition

On the battlefield, seconds count. PHTLS: Prehospital Trauma Life Support, Military Ninth Edition teaches and reinforces the principles of rapidly assessing a trauma patient using an orderly approach, immediately treating life-threatening problems as they are identified, and minimizing any delays in initiating transport to an appropriate destination. Developed by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) in cooperation with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ASC-COT), PHTLS, ​Military Ninth Edition reflects current, evidence-based knowledge and practice, and promotes critical-thinking as the foundation for providing quality care.

Since 1996, Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) has improved the care rendered in combat prehospital environments. TCCC is the battlefield prehospital component of the Joint Trauma System, an organisation within the Department of Defense that projects combat trauma care out to the point of injury and continues that care seamlessly while bringing the casualty home for recuperation and rehabilitation. TCCC guidelines are continuously revised and updated by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (Co-TCCC), an all-volunteer group of military medicine and trauma care specialists. The membership of Co-TECC includes combat medics, corpsmen, and pararescuemen as well as physicians and physician assistants.

​PHTLS: Prehospital Trauma Life Support, Military Ninth Edition is the next step in the evolution of the premier global prehospital trauma education program, a partnership between PHTLS and TCCC that goes back to the fourth edition of this manual. Military Ninth Edition continues the shared mission to promote excellence in trauma care by all providers and in all environments. In addition to the PHTLS core content, it features thirteen chapters written by military prehospital trauma care experts for practitioners in the military environment.

​Military Ninth Edition includes:

Scenario – An opening case study that presents the key concepts of the chapter in a realistic patient or casualty care situation that encourages the participant to ask, “What would I do?”

Key Terms – All key terms that appear in the Glossary are highlighted within the chapters.

Engaging Art Program – The Military Ninth Edition features photos and illustrations that depict the realities of battlefield prehospital care.

Summary – A list of the key concepts of the chapter.

Scenario Solution – A discussion on how the patient or casualty in the opening scenario is assessed and treated in the field or on the battlefield and during transport.