To provide a “gold standard” for care of trauma patients, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma developed Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) in 1979. Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) courses are based on ATLS and provide a prehospital trauma care philosophy that stresses the need to multisystem trauma as a unique entity with specific requirements. We participated in “provider courses” and “instructor courses” of PHTLS and were the first Japanese to be certified as PHTLS instructors. PHTLS was designed as a scenario-based program for prehospital care-providers of all levels. PHTLS courses are internationally recognized continuing education programs utilizing various teaching skills. This is the first report on PHTLS courses, which we believe are beneficial for prehospital emergency health care professionals and educators.

The effects of bathing with inorganic salts and carbon dioxide (ISCD) on body temperature, systemic circulation, food ingestion and absorption have been studied in healthy volunteers. The peripheral blood flow in the forearm was found to increase in and after immersion of the forearm into a 25l bathing receptacle containing ISCD, as compared with plain water. The peripheral blood flow tended to increase in a dose-dependent manner with ISCD bathing. The skin core temperature, the skin surface temperature and the peripheral blood flow were significantly higher after ISCD bathing than after plain water bathing. The influences of ISCD bathing on food ingestion and absorption were also studied in healthy volunteers. Blood glucose and insulin levels after food ingestion tended to be suppressed by ISCD bathing as compared with plain water bathing. There was no difference between ISCD and plain water bathing in total protein, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, and uric acid levels in the blood. These results suggest that ISCD bathing may contribute to the promotion of human health.

We have conducted an active learning session for participants in various fields using a scenario in which university students encountered a great earthquake during a field trip. The program was unique because it not only gave participants an opportunity to simulate providing support, it also allowed them to simulate receiving support.

Clinical training programs play an extremely important role in the new postgraduate clinical training system introduced in 2004 because facilities for clinical training now include various health-related institutions in addition to the university hospitals and special hospitals for clinical training used in the previous system. Although educational goals have been established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, trainees may have difficulty achieving these goals, even under the guidance of staff at the various facilities. There are differences in the function and quality of health-related institutions in the community. For the practical and convenient application of educational goals, we have attempted develop a “model program” to supplement the objectives indicated by the learning goals with more specific objectives. These supplementary objectives can be modified by individual institutions. We hope that this “model program” contributes to the development of objectives for each institution and helps improve the quality of the postgraduate training system in Japan.