Guidelines for essential trauma care (who) - 2004

Guidelines for essential trauma care

World Health Organization Avenue Appia 20 1211 Geneva 27 Switzerland Tel [phone] Fax [phone] www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention [e-mail]

ISBN 92 4 154640 9

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE SURGERY OF TRAUMA AND SURGICAL INTENSIVE-CARE

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF SURGERY SOCIETE INTERNATIONALE DE CHIRURGIE

The International Association for the Surgery of Trauma and Surgical Intensive Care was founded in 1988. Its goal is to provide a forum for exchanging information and developing new knowledge in the field of trauma surgery and surgical intensive care, whether by clinical experience or laboratory investigation. It accomplishes this goal through scientific meetings, publications, and training courses. It is an integrated society within the broader International Society of Surgery-Société Internationale de Chirurgie, which was founded in 1902, has over 3000 members in 80 countries, and is compromised of members at large and those in 4 integrated and 14 participating societies. IATSIC itself has 270 members in 53 countries, distributed on every continent. IATSIC’s membership consists of surgeons in good professional standing, who have a major interest and an active practice in trauma surgery and/or surgical intensive care. Contributions to the scientific literature pertinent to trauma surgery and surgical intensive care are also an important factor in determining membership. Interested surgeons meeting such requirements are encouraged to apply to: IATSIC Secretariat 4 Taviton Street London, WC1H 0BT, United Kingdom Telephone: [phone], Facsimile: [phone] Email: [e-mail]; Website: www.iatsic.org.

The World Health Organization was established in 1948 as a specialized agency of the United Nations serving as the directing and coordinating authority for international health matters and public health. One of WHO’s constitutional functions is to provide