[Prehospital life support in trauma patients: basic or advanced trauma life support].
The controversy between Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) in the prehospital care of trauma patients has not been resolved yet. The purpose of this study was to examine the literature with respect to the type of prehospital care applied to the trauma patients. A total of 76 papers on ATLS and/or BLS for trauma were reviewed regarding the variables such as intravenous catheter application, prehospital fluid resuscitation, transport time, intubation and mortality. As a conclusion, the data in the literature do not support the routine use of on-field ATLS in trauma patients. Prospective randomized trials comparing ATLS and BLS in prehospital management of trauma patients are needed to clarify this issue.
Ozdoğan
Mehmet
M
Department of General Surgery Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, and Department of General Surgery Medicine Faculty of Kirikkale University, Turkey. mehmetozdogan01@superonline.com
Ağalar
Fatih
F
Eryilmaz
Mehmet
M
Ozel
Gürkan
G
Taviloğlu
Korhan
K