CHICAGO, IL – The American College of Surgeons (ACS) released new subspecialty-focused primary survey guidelines for Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) this week after a panel review at the recent national meeting. “With no major updates to the ATLS primary survey guidelines since the 1980s, we view this as a progressive and modern approach,” said Dr. Joyce Seldinger, MD, current ACS president. “We have found that subspecialty residents and attendings, moonlighters, and emergency department physicians have difficulty remembering the basic ABCs because they are inclined to jump straight to evaluation within their fields of expertise. However, the increasing multidisciplinary involvement in trauma evaluations at major trauma centers provides an unprecedented opportunity for comprehensive and expert patient care.” Based on the traditional “ABCs” format for easy recall, here is a summary of the recent guidelines, listed by subspecialty: Anesthesia ASA Class/Analgesia Breakfast Coffee Cardiology Auscultation Beta blocker/Blood pressure Compressions/Catheterization Dermatology Asymmetry Botox Collagen Dermabrasion Emergency Medicine Attending name Bed board CT without contrast/CT with contrast/Consult Documentation ENT Afrin Breathing Cranial nerves Family Medicine Ask open-ended questions Believe patient Call 911 General Surgery Abdomen Book OR Central line DPL Ex-lap/EUA GI Auscultate abdomen Bristol stool chart/Bowel regimen Colonoscopy ICU Albumin/Adrenaline Blood gas Cordis dialysis Infectious Disease Antibiotics Blood cultures Contact precautions Medicine Admit/Assess tomorrow Break Chart review Deliberate Evidence-based medicine Neurology Asymmetry Brain exam CT head OB/GYN Accels and decels Braxton-Hicks C-section Ophthalmology A B C D E Orthopedics Ancef/Admit to medicine Bones Cement/Cast/Cut Discharge Pathology Atypia Biopsy Cryosection/Cytology Defer to outside slide review Pediatrics APGAR/Admit Band-Aid Child life specialist/Candy Plastic Surgery Asymmetry Breasts Cosmesis Psychiatry Appearance/Affect Behavior CBT Radiology Accession number Barium Clinical correlation Urology Airway Balls Catheter/Coude Digital rectal Vascular Surgery Access/Angiogram Balloon Check pulses Doppler Q2 Source
