Al Romanosky

Advanced Trauma Life Support Instructor @University of Maryland Medical System

Baltimore, MD, US

Over several years as an Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) instructor I have taught all course topics which include physiological and anatomical effects of various types of trauma on respective organ systems as well as instructed on special trauma topics such as pregnancy, burn, cold, wilderness. ATLS is a highly interactive course combining lectures, discussions, interactive tutorials, skills teaching and simulated patient management scenarios (moulage) in conjunction of continual student assessments throughout the course. Therefore, effective instruction requires the ability to communicate clearly but also to develop a close working relationship with students.ATLS is an American College of Surgeons training program. At its core, ATLS is a protocol based process for the management of trauma victims. Its goal is to teach a simplified and standardized clinical approach to trauma patients. It is widely accepted as the standard of care for initial assessment and treatment in trauma centers. The premise of ATLS is to treat the greatest threat to life first and is designed to maximize management in the first \"golden hour\" following trauma, and thus ensure an optimal long term outcome. It also advocates that the lack of a definitive diagnosis and a detailed history should not slow the application of indicated treatment for life-threatening injury, with the most time-critical interventions performed early.