The relationship of the level of training and area of medical specialization with registrant performance in an advanced trauma life-support course

Abstract

Approved advanced trauma life-support (ATLS) programs were given to 160 residents and practitioners of various specialties, utilizing a standardized 50-item, multiple-choice posttest. Level of training (practitioner ν resident) and area of medical specialization with registrant performance on total score and in specific subcontent areas of ATLS were evaluated by subjecting total and subcontent percent scores to a two-way analysis of variance and Newman-Keuls pairwise comparisons. Practitioners outperformed the residents in the subcontent area of abdominal injuries, P<.05. In specialization, emergency medicine outperformed internal medicine specialists, P< .05. Pairwise differences among specialists were not statistically significant. In airway problems, surgeons and internists were outperformed by emergency medicine, whereas in burns, emergency medicine and family practitioners significantly outperformed the surgeons. Emergency medicine outperformed internal medicine, P<.05, in subcontent area of extremity injuries. We conclude that registrants are likely to benefit from an ATLS course, but preliminary evidence would seem to justify some “tailoring” of the ATLS curriculum for different registrant specialty groups.