Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) Pre Test and Post Test Practice

In the primary survey, the focus is on rapidly identifying and treating life threats by following the order of airway, breathing, and circulation. Reassessing airway and breathing is essential and should be done continuously as conditions can change. Controlling external bleeding is a critical circulation concern that must be addressed promptly to prevent shock. Initiating rapid transport is a priority when the patient is unstable or definitive care isn’t nearby, so decisions about movement are made early in the process.

The complete head-to-toe secondary exam belongs to the secondary survey, which comes after the primary survey has addressed life threats and transport decisions are underway. It’s performed after stabilization to identify non-life-threatening injuries, so it is done last among the listed actions.