Polytrauma Course / Trauma Academy

One patient.
Many disciplines.
Better care.

Bringing expertise together across the entire trauma journey. International, interdisciplinary education from the injury site to rehabilitation.

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ECTES 2027 precongress course · 22–23 April
Swiss Pelvic & Acetabular + Polytrauma →

Rescue helicopter approaching the hospital helipad in Zurich

ROOTED IN SWITZERLAND. CONNECTED WORLDWIDE.

FROM THE FIRST
RESPONSE ONWARDS

Endorsed by the international
surgical community

Beyond the first hour

The whole journey.
A shared perspective.

Complex injuries call for connected expertise.

The Polytrauma Course brings together general and visceral surgeons, orthopaedic trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, intensivists and emergency physicians. Together, we explore care across the full hospital journey and beyond.

Lectures, case discussions and practical sessions connect disciplines around one shared focus: the multiply injured patient.

Get to know the course

2002The beginning of our course

30+International courses by 2025

6Stages of the care journey

A continuum of care

Every stage matters.

One course concept.
From rescue to recovery.

01
Injury site
Rescue & transfer
02
Emergency room
Initial assessment
03
Operating room
Surgical care
04
Intensive care
Ongoing treatment
05
Ward
Continued recovery
06
Rehabilitation
Life beyond hospital

Our curriculum & philosophy

A shared foundation.
Adapted to your setting.

The whole patient, across every phase of care.

Our curriculum connects the recurring themes of our national and international programmes: understanding polytrauma, setting priorities, coordinating treatment and supporting recovery. It develops clinical reasoning through evidence-informed lectures and discussion across specialties.

Core topics ↓Local adaptation ↓How we teach ↓

Follow the patient.

From rescue and initial assessment to surgery, intensive care and rehabilitation, decisions are considered within the patient’s entire course of treatment.

Learn across disciplines.

Surgeons, emergency physicians, anaesthesiologists and intensivists bring their perspectives into the same discussion. Trainees and experienced specialists learn with and from one another.

Reason through real cases.

Case discussion is a recurring thread throughout the programmes. Participants compare options, explain priorities and work through complex scenarios with expert faculty.

The common clinical foundation

Six connected areas of learning.

These themes bring the programmes together. Their depth, sequence and balance are tailored to each edition.

Definition & initial assessment

A shared understanding of polytrauma, the initial diagnostic workup and the priorities that guide assessment of the multiply injured patient.

Physiology, shock & resuscitation

The systemic response to injury, haemorrhagic shock, trauma-induced coagulopathy and the principles of resuscitation.

Surgical strategy & timing

How teams establish treatment priorities, choose stabilisation and reconstruction strategies, and discuss the timing and sequence of surgery.

Combined injury patterns

Traumatic brain injury and pelvic trauma alongside selected chest, abdominal, spinal, vascular and extremity injuries. The clinical emphasis varies by edition.

Ongoing care & complications

Intensive care and the challenges of tissue healing, infection and delayed recovery. Specialist sessions may explore complex limb injuries and nonunion.

Rehabilitation & outcomes

Rehabilitation after polytrauma, functional recovery, persistent sequelae and long-term outcomes, connecting acute treatment with life after injury.

The learning aim: develop a structured assessment, explain and prioritise treatment decisions, and coordinate care across specialties and phases of recovery.

Flexible by design

One course concept.
A programme for each setting.

Each edition is individually adapted to national and international educational requirements, the host organisation’s priorities and the clinical questions that matter to its participants.

See how programmes differ

Clinical focus: Greater depth in areas such as pelvic trauma, geriatric polytrauma, complex extremity injuries or military and mass-casualty care.
Local context: Relevant national and international guidance, local trauma pathways, available resources and the needs of the healthcare system.
Participants & format: The experience and specialties of the audience, course duration, faculty expertise and integration within a national meeting or international congress.

The course experience

Knowledge meets clinical practice.

Focused lectures and moderated case discussions form the teaching foundation. Small-group workshops allow participants to explore clinical reasoning in more depth.

Selected editions add live video, trauma bay simulation or a military session. The mix of formats and specialist content follows the learning priorities of each course.

A clinical team observed through a window and on video monitors during a training session — Learning through observation, discussion and practice.

TEACHING FORMATS & SPECIALIST SESSIONS

01Case sessions

Clinical reasoning, shared and challenged.

Work through clinical scenarios with faculty and colleagues from different specialties. Discuss assessment, treatment priorities, surgical timing and subsequent care, and explain the reasoning behind each decision.

02Live video

A closer view of clinical practice.

Live video brings the operating environment into the learning experience, connecting observation with expert discussion.

03Trauma bay simulation

Put teamwork into practice.

Simulation creates an opportunity to practise communication, coordination and decision-making in a trauma team.

04Military session

Train for complex combat injuries.

Explore blast and penetrating injuries, severe bleeding and team coordination when evacuation is delayed or resources are limited.

SWISS KNIFE describes a Swiss civil–military simulation initiative using realistic injury make-up and patient simulators to practise haemorrhage control, airway management and teamwork. Pilot sessions took place at the Zurich Polytrauma Course in September 2025.