International Trauma Life Support
International Trauma Life Support ( ITLS for short ) is a non-profit organization based in Illinois , USA, which has developed a course concept for preclinical trauma care .
ITLS has set itself the task of optimizing the rescue service care of injured people worldwide by improving and standardizing the training of rescue service personnel . The aim is to reduce the mortality and degree of disability of injured patients (trauma patients) .
PHTLS offers a similar concept .
history
As early as the 1970s, a course concept was developed for doctors and nurses who deal with the care of the seriously injured in the emergency room ( shock room ) of a hospital. This is Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS).
John Emory Campbell, an emergency doctor from Alabama (USA), realized that the clinical concept can only work well if the ambulance service has provided good preclinical care. He then decided, in collaboration with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), to develop a course concept that enables emergency service personnel ( first responders , paramedics , paramedics , paramedics and emergency doctors ) to treat injured (traumatized) patients after the current one State of the art medical science. The Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) concept can only take effect in the clinic with good and fast emergency medical care and thus lead to a reduction in injured mortality and the degree of disability after an injury.
This preclinical course concept is now used in 30 countries around the world. In Europe, rescue specialists are already being trained in ITLS in Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, England, Hungary, Denmark, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, Russia and Ireland. Around 750,000 people worldwide had been trained in ITLS by 2017, including firefighters, rescue service personnel, soldiers, nurses and doctors from all disciplines.
The ITLS training has achieved such a high degree of acceptance in some countries that it has become a prerequisite there to prove training in ITLS in order to be able to fill a position in the rescue service. In some of these countries, ITLS care for the injured has been integrated as an integral part of the training of rescue service personnel.
The evidence-based training content is regularly reviewed and refined by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the ITLS International Science Committee. The experience of all emergency services around the world who are involved in the care of the injured according to ITLS are included. A conference is held annually for this purpose, at which members from each local association must be present. The results evaluated by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) in the science of trauma care will be passed on through lectures and workshops .
structure
ITLS International is the parent non-profit organization and is based in Illinois, USA. Its task is supported by regionally based subsidiary associations.
In order to be able to act as a subsidiary, licensing by ITLS International is required. For this purpose, different quality-relevant characteristics specified by ITLS International must be met and verified.
A tried and tested concept for dissemination within a region is to use existing training facilities for rescue service training. These offer the ITLS training concept and thus make it accessible to employees in the rescue service. For this purpose, non-profit rescue service schools are licensed by the subsidiary associations after they have proven to be able to provide the high quality characteristics of ITLS training.
financing
ITLS International, the regional subsidiary associations and also the training centers at which the ITLS training courses are offered are organized on a worldwide non-profit basis. This means that nobody can do business profitably with the help of ITLS. This ensures that the idea of improving preclinical care for the injured does not fade into the background due to economic interests.
In order to still be able to finance the costs incurred for the scientific advancement of injured care and the worldwide spread of ITLS, ITLS International charges a license fee of US $ 15 for every rescue service employee who takes part in ITLS training. In order to maintain the low level of the license fee, it is necessary that the work is done on a voluntary basis by ITLS employees . The voluntary and non-profit structure of ITLS is exemplified by the founder John Emory Campbell . It was only through the use of his private fortune that ITLS could be founded, maintained and further developed.
Renaming from BTLS to ITLS
In 2005 it was decided to rename Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS) to International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) . The renaming was necessary to take into account the meanwhile high degree of worldwide distribution. The regional associations were given until December 31, 2006 to rename. As of January 1, 2007, the global renaming was completed.