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Prehospital Trauma Life Support

Prehospital Trauma Life Support ( PHTLS) is the world-wide concept for the pre-clinical care of seriously injured patients created by James K. Styner. PHTLS is a registered trademark of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.

PHTLS is a two-day training program that trains participants in the rapid detection and treatment of acute injuries in the context of pre-clinical trauma care. It is based on Advanced trauma life support.

Development

On February 17, 1976 Dr. Styner was flying from Los Angeles, California to return home to Lincoln, Nebraska after attending a wedding. His wife, Charlene (32), and four children, Christopher (10), Richard (8), Randal (7), and Kimberly (3), were aboard the aircraft with him. Styner piloted a 6-seat Beach Barron twin. They flew east, and landed in New Mexico to refuel. They continued through Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. In Nebraska, they intercepted a low, thin cloud layer. Styner stayed below the clouds. At five hours into the flight he became disoriented and lost altitude. They flew over a pond and into a row of trees at 168 miles per hour. Charlene was torn from the airplane and killed instantly. Kimberly, Richard and Randal were unconscious from head injuries. Styner had fractured ribs and wounds to his head and face and a zygomatic fracture. His son Christopher had a fracture to the right forearm and a severe laceration to the right hand. The two of them were able to evacuate the unconscious children from the aircraft and after 8 hours in sub-freezing conditions, Styner went to a nearby road and flagged down a car, which brought them to a local hospital a few miles south.

The hospital was closed, and took some time to gather personnel to open up for the Styner patients. Once open, Dr. Styner found that the doctors at the hospital had little training in the management of serious trauma. He was particularly concerned that they did not make any attempt to protect the injured children's cervical spines. He called his partner Bruce Miller for help. Miller arranged for evacuation by helicopter to Lincoln General Hospital.