6. General trauma care: Advanced Trauma Life Support

The initial work-up and treatment of trauma patients has undergone many changes in the last decades. The principles of ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) are generally accepted in Europe. After an accident, in most cases an emergency call is made to a central emergency call centre. There, an estimate of the help required at the place of the accident is made. Based on the accident description, it can be estimated whether it involves a high or low energy trauma mechanism.