ABSTRACT
With the development of trauma systems and the widespread training of Advanced Trauma Life Supportw (ATLSw), the initial management of trauma patients has become much more standardized. This has led to improved patient outcomes (1). The ATLS course stresses the importance of a primary survey (PS) to initially identify injuries that are an immediate threat to life, followed by a secondary survey (SS), which is geared to promptly identify all other injuries. However, despite the improvements in standardization of management, as many as two-thirds of trauma patients have injuries not identified by these surveys (2).
