What’s new in ATLS with Dr. Nori Bradley

In this episode, James and Rob sit down with Dr. Nori Bradley — trauma and acute care surgeon at the University of Alberta Hospital, intensivist, ATLS contributor, and one of the over 200 global experts who helped reshape the 11th edition — to break down the most clinically significant updates to the world’s leading trauma education program. The conversation digs into the headline change: the evolution of ABCDE to xABCDE, formally codifying exsanguinating hemorrhage control as the first priority before airway management, and what that shift actually means at the bedside. They explore the increased emphasis on hemodynamic optimization before RSI, the reorganization of the manual into three major sections, the entirely new Trauma Systems chapter, and how the 11th edition addresses team communication, special populations, and global applicability. Dr. Bradley offers an insider perspective on how the revision process unfolded, where the evidence drove change versus where expert consensus led, and what trauma providers — whether ATLS veterans or first-timers — most need to know before they walk into their next course.