International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) is a global organization dedicated to preventing death and disability from trauma through education and emergency trauma care.
ITLS is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to comprehensive trauma training and education. Its training programs are aimed at the emergency (or out-of-hospital) providers. Founded in 1985 as Basic Trauma Life Support International, ITLS now has over 90 chapters and training centres in over 35 countries around the world. Through ITLS, over three hundred fifty thousand trauma care professionals have learned proven techniques endorsed by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
International Trauma Standard : ITLS has become accepted internationally as the standard training course for pre-hospital trauma care, and is not only taught as continuing education course, but is also used as a course book in many EMT and paramedic training programs.
ITLS courses give the student the knowledge and hands-on skills to take better care of trauma patients. ITLS stresses rapid assessment, appropriate intervention and identification of immediate life threats. The ITLS framework for rapid, appropriate and effective trauma care is a global standard that works in any situation.
ITLS courses combine classroom learning and hands-on skills stations. They also challenge the student with scenario assessment stations where you put your learning to work in simulated trauma situations. ITLS courses are designed, managed and delivered by course directors, coordinators and instructors experienced in EMS, pre-hospital care and the ITLS approach.
Each ITLS course includes a comprehensive course manual sent to the student in advance. The manual enhances learning experience with in-depth content, photos and illustrations. ITLS manuals are written by trauma care experts and reviewed by the ITLS Editorial Board. After the course, the manual serves as a valuable recap of what has been learned.
ITLS is an approved provider by the Continuing Education Coordination Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS) and all ITLS courses are CECBEMS certified.
ITLS Programs – ITLS provides its courses through its chapters and training centres. Training centres may be established for proprietary training organizations to educate their own or contracted personnel in ITLS.
EMS agencies, hospitals, and other training centers who wish to conduct ITLS courses should contact the ITLS chapter in their area if one exists. Chapters will provide mechanisms for developing course sites within their region.
ITLS mandates essential policies and procedures for its courses; however, each chapter and training centre has the flexibility to adapt the educational content for their individual program.
ITLS encourages persons interested in establishing a ITLS to seek sponsorship from a larger
organization such as hospitals or EMS agencies. In Canada, for example, the Alberta chapter of ITLS is coordinated by the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). In the U.S., many ITLS chapters are sponsored by state chapters of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
