ATLS® INTERNATIONALM a y / J u n e 2 0 11 ATLS International is a monthly electronic newsletter that circulates the latest

information on news and events across the ATLS global spectrum. Please contact Jasmine Alkhatib with questions or suggestions at jalkhatib@facs.org.

ATLS® INTERNATIONALM a y / J u n e 2 0 11

Welcome, aTLS–egypt!

On June 4, 2011, a group of Egyptian doctors taught their first ATLS Provider course at the Learning Resource Center (LRC) of Cairo University. Egypt, with a population of more than 80.5 million, is the most populous country to promulgate the program since the introduction of ATLS–Nigeria in July 2010. It is also the third African country to join the ATLS international group.

Abdelhakim El Kholy, MD (ATLS–Egypt Chair), co-directed the Egyptian inaugural Student and Instructor courses with Saud Al Turki, MD, FACS (ATLS Region Chief for the Middle East and ATLS–Saudi Arabia Chair). Dr. El Kholy has been an exceptionally active ATLS instructor for more than 15 years, beginning when he worked as an emergency physician in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His recent move back to his home country, Egypt, prompted him to collaborate with his colleagues from the Egyptian Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ESPRS) and the Egyptian Orthopedic Association (EOA) to launch the ATLS program. “We know that the ATLS program is highly needed in our country, as we have one of the highest MVAs [motor vehicle accident rates] in the world,” Dr. El Kholy said.

Most of the experienced ATLS faculty who participated in the course are based in the Middle East and include Subash Gautam, MD,

FACS (ATLS–UAE Chair); Frank Branicki, MD (ATLS–UAE Instructor); Jalal Al Owais, MD (ATLS–Saudi Arabia Instructor); Wesam Abuznadah, MD (ATLS–Saudi Arabia Educator); Manal Al Naimi, MD (ATLS–Saudi Arabia Instructor); and Mrs. Vilma Cabading (ATLS–Saudi Arabia National Coordinator). Claus Falck Larsen, MD, FACS (ATLS Region Chief for Europe and ATLS–Denmark Chair), was able to join the group for the Instructor course, and Ms. Jasmine Alkhatib (ATLS International Coordinator, USA) participated in the courses as well.

Dr. El Kholy also counted on the help of instructor candidates Mohamed Magdi M. Abbas, MD; Mohammed M. Abdou Matar, MD; Mohamed Aboul Naga, MD; Mohamed Shams, MD; and Tamer Fahmy, MD, all of who were evaluated as successful and now comprise ATLS–Egypt’s instructor pool.

The Egyptian team’s dedication to disseminate the program throughout their country is largely due to the number of deaths by motor vehicle collisions, but the uprising of January 2011 and the periodic outbursts of violence that have since followed add further urgency to the need for quality trauma care in Egypt. The ATLS–Egypt group is already planning their next course for September 2011. Congratulations to ATLS–Egypt and all who were involved in the promulgation of the program!

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R E A D T O T H E A R T I C L E S

aTLS Region Meetings

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RTTDC Inaugural Course Held in India

Trauma is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in developing countries. The World Health Organization estimates that trauma will be the third largest cause of death in developing countries by 2010. The population of India is currently at 1.21 billion people, which is 17.5 percent of the world’s population. A trauma-related death occurs in the country every two minutes. Ideally, patients sustaining serious trauma should be transported immediately to the closest equipped trauma center; however, this course of action may not always be possible due to distance, density of population, and local traffic conditions. In these circumstances, it becomes necessary to take the patient to the nearest hospital, even though its resources may be minimal.

In April 2011, an inaugural RTTDC Faculty course was held at a major trauma center and a Provider course was held at a rural hospital to determine the feasibility and interest in promulgating the RTTDC program in India. As a result of this educational initiative, 18 new instructors were certified as RTTDC faculty who will continue RTTDC education in India. An additional 25 health care providers from a rural center attended the Provider course.

The course content was rated as being highly relevant, and 92 percent of the participants indicated that they will seek additional information following the course. Based on this experience, there seems to be great enthusiasm and need for the establishment of RTTDC in India. Plans are underway to promulgate the program within India and formally evaluate its impact.

by Jameel Ali, MD, M Med Ed, FACS, FRCSC, and Anne Sorvari St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario

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about Our Organization…The American College of Surgeons (ACS) was founded in 1913 to raise the

standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The

College has worked to establish guidelines for the care of the trauma patient. The

Advanced Trauma Life Support course teaches a systematic, concise approach

to the early care of the trauma patient. This course is vital to guiding care for the

injured patient in emergency department trauma rooms. The course training

provides a common language that can save lives in critical situations.

american College of Surgeons633 n. Saint Clair St. • Chicago, IL 60611-3211aTLS Phone 312-202-5160 • aTLS Fax 312-202-5013

ATLS® INTERNATIONALM a y / J u n e 2 0 11

Region Meeting: Bonito, BrazilThe third annual Region 14 ATLS meeting in Latin America was held in Bonito, Brazil, on May 13, 2011. Bonito is a remote town that is well known in the country for its pristine environment, attracting a great deal of ecotourism. Renato Poggetti, MD, FACS (ATLS Region Chief for Latin America); Francisco de Salles Collet e Silva, MD, FACS (ATLS–Brazil Chair); Newton Djin Mori (ATLS–Brazil Vice-Chair); and Cristiane Domingues (ATLS–Brazil National Coordinator) hosted the meeting at the Zagaia Eco Resort Hotel.

Nearly a dozen countries were represented, and a number of Brazilian ATLS directors, instructors, and coordinators attended the gathering. Each country representative discussed ATLS country statistics, strengths and challenges, and future goals for the program, including the revision and the Spanish translation processes for future materials. Additionally, information about the Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN), Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM), Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET), Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness (DMEP), and Rural Trauma Team Development Course (RTTDC) programs was presented.

A day prior to the meeting, Leonard Weireter, Jr., MD, FACS; Jay Doucet, MD, FACS; and Michael Aboutanos, MD, MPH, FACS, led the first DMEP course in Brazil. Immediately following the course, Mr. Will Chapleau (ATLS Manager and PHTLS Chair) conducted a PHTLS 7th Edition rollout session, where he presented the changes involved in the new edition.

The next Region 14 meeting will likely be held in Santiago, Chile, in April 2012.

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Region Meeting: Riyadh, Saudi arabiaJust months after the formation of ATLS–Middle East, the nascent region celebrated its first ever ATLS meeting in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of ATLS in Saudi Arabia. The meeting took place at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel on May 17, 2011, and was led by Dr. Saud Al Turki (ATLS Region 17 Chief and ATLS–Saudi Arabia Chair).

Given the significance of the meeting, many international ATLS representatives were invited to attend, including John Kortbeek, MD, FACS (ATLS International Course Director, Canada); Claus Falck Larsen, MD, FACS (ATLS Region 15 Chief, Denmark); Michael Hollands, MD, FACS (ATLS Region 16 Chief, Australia); Subash Gautam, MD, FACS (ATLS–UAE Chair, UAE); Nnamdi Nwauwa, MD (ATLS–Nigeria Chair, Nigeria); Will Chapleau (ATLS Program Manager, USA); and Jasmine Alkhatib (ATLS International Coordinator, USA). His Royal Highness Prince Muteb Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, Commander of the National Guard, also participated in the meeting and presented awards to honorary guests with His Excellency, Bandar Al Knawy, MD, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Guard Health Affairs and President of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences.

In addition to hosting an impressively organized and well-attended meeting, the ATLS–Saudi Arabia group held a gala dinner for all guests with entertainment that included song and dance and an award ceremony in honor of dedicated faculty and staff. Excursions were also planned for international faculty and staff; they enjoyed a day in the desert and a trip to Jeddah, a large coastal city in Saudi Arabia known for its Red Sea scuba diving.

We congratulate the ATLS–Middle East group for such a successful first meeting, and the ATLS–Saudi Arabia program on their 20th anniversary!

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The ATLS Europe group conducted its seventh annual ATLS meeting in Europe May 20–21, 2011, in Madrid, Spain. Jose Maria Jover, MD, FACS (ATLS–Spain Chair), hosted the half-day meetings, which were co-chaired by Inger Schipper, MD (ATLS Europe Chair), and Pedro Pereira, MD (former ATLS–Europe Chair). Attendees discussed course content and MCQ revisions for the 9th edition of the ATLS Student Manual. Additionally, Raphael Bonvin, MD (Senior ATLS Educator), discussed plans to formalize the revision of the Instructor course.

The meeting was also well attended by ATLS–Europe national coordinators, which allowed for fruitful discussion, mainly about the possibility for a senior coordinator to represent all national coordinators during ATLS Committee meetings. All agreed on the creation of a role for the senior coordinator, who will be appointed during the International Coordinator meeting to be held in San Francisco, CA, in October 2011.

The eighth annual ATLS meeting in Europe will be held in Berlin, Germany, April 27–29, 2012. ATLS–Germany will celebrate its 10th anniversary since inaugurating the program.

Region Meeting: Madrid, Spain

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