American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma develops ATLS mobile app

For the first time, first responders to emergency medical situations will have a mobile app ready for use in the field that provides up-to-date content from the Advanced Trauma Life Support Program (ATLS®) developed by the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The ACS COT has developed its first companion mobile app to accompany the release of the ninth edition of its Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Student Course Manual. Both products are being showcased at this week's Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons in Chicago.

The ATLS mobile app further enhances the educational content and visual presentation of the printed version of its highly regarded ATLS manual. The app is available for download at MyATLS.com with the release of the manual, and can be continually updated by users in advance via the Web for use in the field. The ATLS app is native to the device on which it is downloaded, so first responders do not need Internet access to use the app in the field. Emergency responders can also secure the ATLS app for purchase as a stand-alone product via MyATLS.com.

Designed to serve as both a bed-side reference tool and supplemental educational resource, the mobile app has both Universal iOS and Android compatibility and consists of interactive algorithms, calculators, animations, Just in Time videos demonstrating key skills, and an interactive PDF version of the Student Manual.

The newest edition of the ATLS Student Course Manual represents the latest in evidence-based care for the injured patient and has been updated and expanded to include the most current technical content and references. ATLS mobile app users will be able to download content from the ninth edition manual that offers first responders emergency care information in areas such as heat injury, balanced resuscitation, the pelvis as a source of blood loss, advanced airway techniques for the difficult airway, and team training content for initial assessment of the injured patient.

By providing the ATLS course and maintaining its high quality, the COT offers a tool to help reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with trauma. The course teaches a set of established treatment methods using a systematic, concise approach to the early care of trauma patients. The ATLS program is the premier training course for the care of injured patients. ATLS has become a mainstay in the trauma care community through the work of the ACS COT, which establishes guidelines for the care of injured patients