Course Overview

The Royal College of Surgeons’ of England two-day “definitive surgical trauma skills course” is run by the authors. The course began in 1997 but a new syllabus has recently been put in place. The focus is on thoracic, abdominal, and vascular injuries, caused by both penetrating trauma, such as a knife, and ballistic trauma caused by guns.

Manual Purpose

This Manual accompanies the course and its aim is to “demystify the body” and show how to control massive blood loss. Interventions, whether they be military or civilian, are described in full, and techniques derived from the battlefield and worldwide hotspots in trauma — are exemplified within this book.