Intraosseous infusion (IO) is the process of injecting medications, fluids, or blood products directly into the marrow of a bone; this provides a non-collapsible entry point into the systemic venous system.
- What is an IO in medical terms?
- What is an IO in emergency medicine?
- What is an IO vs IV?
- How is an IO inserted?
What is an IO in medical terms?
Intraosseous (IO) vascular access refers to the placement of a specialized hollow bore needle through the cortex of a bone into the medullary space for infusion of medical therapy and laboratory tests.[1][2] The IO route is an option when standard venous access would delay therapy or is not easily obtained in the ...
What is an IO in emergency medicine?
Intraosseous access (IO) is a method for providing vascular access in out-of-hospital resuscitation of critically ill and injured patients when traditional intravenous access is difficult or impossible. Different intraosseous techniques have been used by our Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) since 2003.
What is an IO vs IV?
Intraosseous (IO) parenteral access is relatively fast and easy to obtain, whereas intravenous (IV) access can be difficult. IO access is currently recommended as an option for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) when IV access cannot be immediately obtained.
How is an IO inserted?
Insertion sites for adults
The needle is inserted on the medial surface of the tibia at the junction of the medial malleolus and the shaft of the tibia, posterior to the greater saphenous vein. The proximal humerus is an alternate site. It has the potential advantage, during shock.