PHTLS
Medical abbreviation · Emergency Medicine
| Stands for | Prehospital Trauma Life Support |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
PHTLS stands for Prehospital Trauma Life Support, an emergency medicine abbreviation.
Trauma care course for EMS providers and other prehospital clinicians, developed by the National Association of EMTs with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
Example: Crew applied PHTLS principles: hemorrhage control first, rapid transport to trauma center.
Usage notes
Created in the 1980s as the prehospital counterpart of ATLS. It emphasizes the XABCDE approach, beginning with control of exsanguinating hemorrhage. A military edition is used in combat medic training.
Related abbreviations
More emergency medicine abbreviations
- PAT – Pediatric assessment triangle
- PCR – Patient care report
- PEARS – Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition and Stabilization
- PECARN – Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network
- PEM – Pediatric emergency medicine
- PERC – Pulmonary Embolism Rule-out Criteria
- POLST – Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment
- POV – Privately owned vehicle
- PSAP – Public safety answering point
- qSOFA – Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment
- ROSC – Return of spontaneous circulation
- RSI – Rapid sequence intubation
See all 97 emergency medicine abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.