The Alabama Chapter of the American College of Physicians was the birthplace of Basic Trauma Life Support when it was developed by John Campbell, MD, FACEP in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The first course was taught in August 1982 in Opelika, Alabama. Within four years it had become the standard of care for pre-hospital trauma care. The reasons for this success are best summarized in the course text by Dr. Campbell himself.

This book is dedicated to Captain Jim McClellan and the Clay County Rescue Squad. Many years ago when I was a young doctor impressed with my own importance, I had the honor of working with them. I taught them some basic EMT skills and they taught me about humility and unselfish devotion to humankind. Over the years they have not only provided Clay County, Alabama with the finest in pre hospital care, but have also provided me a standard of character and dedication with which to measure my own life.

Dr. Campbell recently provided this updated history of BTLS.

The first pre hospital trauma course ever developed, Basic Trauma Life Support, was introduced in August of 1982. BTLS began as a local project of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. After fourteen years of dedicated work by volunteer instructors from every level of emergency medicine, BTLS has become internationally accepted as the training course for pre hospital trauma care. The original BTLS course was modeled after the Advanced Trauma Life Support course (for physicians) so that the surgeon, emergency physician, trauma nurse, and EMT would think and act along similar lines. The courses differ in many respects because the pre hospital situation differs markedly from the hospital . The term "basic trauma life support" is not to suggest that advanced life support procedures are not used, but rather to distinguish the interventions in the pre hospital setting from the advanced surgical procedures used in the hospital care of the trauma patient.

Basic Trauma Life Support is endorsed by the American College of Emergency Physicians and the National Association of EMS Physicians. The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians recognizes the course for 16 hours of credit for continuing education for all levels of EMT s. More than this, BTLS has become an international organization of instructors in pre hospital trauma care. Each local or state chapter is represented at the international meetings. The purpose of the organization is to foster trauma training and maintain up-to-date high standards for the BTLS course.

Basic Trauma Life Support International, with the experience of training thousands of students over the last fourteen years, is responsible for the third edition of BTLS. Authors include distinguished trauma surgeons, emergency physicians, emergency nurses, and paramedics.

This course is designed for the advanced EMT, paramedic, and trauma nurse who must initially evaluate and stabilize the trauma patient. Since this is a critical time in the management of these patients, this course is intended to teach the skills necessary for rapid assessment, resuscitation, packaging, and transport. It also stresses those conditions which cannot be stabilized in the field and thus require immediate transport.

The primary objectives of the course are to teach the correct sequence of evaluation and the techniques of resuscitation and packaging of the patient, thus giving the patient the greatest chance of arriving at the emergency department in time for definitive care to be lifesaving.

John E. Campbell, MD
June 1996