The ATCN course is a version of ATLS for doctors, which is suitable for nurses.

The ATLS/ATCN/PHTLS concepts provide a common language to all stakeholders, for the sole purpose of providing the best care possible to the patients.

The essential elements for effective teamwork are good theoretical knowledge and practice. Everyone knows what is his position, what he has to do, what to expect of others and what others expect of him!

The team members must communicate: says things clearly, to ensure they are received and well understood by the person to whom it is addressed.

PROGRAM GOALS ATLS/ATCN.

Provide participants with a safe management of injuried patients and the knowledge base to:

• Assess the patient quickly and accurately.
• Resuscitate and stabilize the patient taking into account the priorities.
• Ensure that resources are up to the patient's nedds.
• Quickly organize a possible transfer( who, what, when, where and how).
• Ensure that optimal care is provided and maintened( evaluation, resuscitation, transfer.....).

CONCEPT ATLS/ATCN.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

During the "GOLDEN HOUR" be able to:

• Have a positive impact on morbidity and mortality from injuries.

• Identify and treat lethal or potentially lethal lesions.

INITIAL ASSESSMENT or PRIMARY SURVEY.

• Airway with C-spine control.
• Breathing and Ventilation.
• Circulation and Bleeding control.
  
• Disability: neurological evaluation.
• Exposure: environment and prevention of hypothermia.

The initial assessment follows the acronym ABCDE.

SECONDARY SURVEY.

• Begins only when the ABCDE is completed and the patient is stabilized.

  • Head to toe assessment.
  • Patient history.
  • Mechanisme of injury.

THE THEORY.

During the first 30 to 40 minutes, the following points are carried out by the doctors:

• Initial assessment and management.
• Airway and ventilation management.
• Shock.
• Thoracic trauma
• Abdominal and pelvic trauma.
• Head trauma.
• Spine and spinal cord trauma.
• Musculoskeletal trauma.
• Thermal injuries.
• Pediatric and geriatiric trauma.
• Trauma in women.
• Transfer to definitive care.

THE PRACTICE

• Initial assessment.

Prepare the student to rapidly assess the multiply injured patient in an organized manner with emphasis on identification of life threatening injuries and resuscitative interventions.

• Airway and ventilatory management.

         The objective in the trauma patient are follows:

         secure a patients airway, ensure adequate oxygenation, provide adequate and effective ventilation,monitor ongoing status of airway patency and ventilation status.

• Hemorrhagic shock.

         Rewiews the different classes of shock. Defines potential bleeding sites, bleeding assessment, discuss about vascular and boney access, fluid types, blood and blood products, warming strategies and monitoring.

• Head trauma.

          Allows to know the signs and symptoms of brain trauma. Gives interventions and what to do to maintain good oxygenation and cerebral perfusion. Reviewing the evaluation of cranio-facial lesions. Identifies the need for early neurochirugical care.

• Musculoskeletal trauma.

          Allows to recognize musculoskeletal injuries, manager compartment syndrome, consider the immobilization of fractures as a control to bleeding and finally to use set squares various traction and immobilization.

• Pediatric trauma.

          Anatomico-physiological peculiarities of the child, how to calculate the fluid requirements, the endotracheal tube sizes and the surrounding roads are studies based on this speciality.

CONCLUSION.

After following a ATLS/ATCN course, the medical staff find themselves in the emergency room with a team that works on the same principle, that speaks the same language.

It is a real ease of work and a signifiant benefit for patient outcome.