Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support

The basic premise of the Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) course of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) – in cooperation with the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons – is to promote critical thinking, particularly under stress, and use enrollees' technical skills to deliver excellent patient care, based on an excellent foundation of knowledge. By design, it links to Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) for physicians. The Committee provides the medical direction and content oversight for the PHTLS program.

Training includes a 2-day, tri-service, continuing medical education course for emergency healthcare professionals.  The training is based on prehospital trauma care philosophy, stressing the treatment of the multi-system trauma patient as a unique entity with specific needs.  Training includes lectures and patient simulated skill stations.  Lectures cover:  Physiology of Life and Death, Scene Assessment, Patient Assessment and Special Considerations, Airway and Ventilation Management, Shock Management, and Trauma.  The target audience is DOD medical personnel trained to the level of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or above in one of the uniformed services.  Students must also be registered in 6A-C4, Combat Casualty Care Course (C4).   The course awards 16 CEUs.

Course Links

• Combat Casualty Care Course

Upcoming Courses

All courses are located in San Antonio. The C4 and associated professional courses are taken together. They may not be taken separately.

All course dates may be rescheduled if the minimum student quota requirement has not been met.  In the rare event of course cancellation or date change, DMRTI will notify all students as soon as changes are confirmed.  Confirmed registered students will have priority in the next course.

*Course dates cancelled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.  Dates may be rescheduled once approved.