The American College of Surgeons Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) is an evidence-based course that teaches the medical and surgical management of trauma patients. It was developed by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in partnership with the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (USASIR) in an effort to save lives by rapidly treating serious injuries and reducing death and disability in trauma patients.
The ATLS program was designed to fit in a brief, practical, and convenient course. It combines essential content from a variety of educational sources into a practical teaching program that can be implemented into the practice of the attending physician in the acute setting.
