Consortium on Intraosseous (IO) Vascular Access Recommends IO Access for Emergent and Nonemergent Situations

NORWOOD, Mass., Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Consortium on Intraosseous Vascular Access for Emergent and Nonemergent Situations in Various Healthcare Settings—a group convened in October 2009 by the Infusion Nurses Society (INS)—released a consensus paper recommending the use of intraosseous (IO) vascular access in a number of healthcare settings.

The consortium's paper, "Recommendations for the Use of Intraosseous Access for Emergent and Nonemergent Situations in Various Healthcare Settings: A Consensus Paper," recommended, among other things, that IO vascular access should be considered as an alternative to peripheral or central IV access in a variety of healthcare settings, including the intensive care unit; on high-acuity/progressive care floors; on the general medical floor; in pre-procedures surgical settings where lack of vascular access can delay surgery; and in chronic care and long-term care settings, when an increase in patient morbidity or mortality is possible.

Members of the consortium—including INS; Society of Pediatric Nurses; Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association; American Association of Critical-Care Nurses; and Emergency Nurses Association—have recognized that IO access may provide significant time savings that could benefit patients in emergent situations by decreasing the time required to achieve access and the time required to administer necessary fluids and medications.

Intraosseous access to the bone marrow space is achieved by manually inserted, impact-driven, or drill-powered needles. Recently developed IO devices make the procedure relatively easy to perform with appropriate education and training.

INS CEO Mary Alexander said, "INS was honored to have been the convener of this consortium. The collective knowledge and expertise of the consortium members allowed for broader thinking about patient care issues and how the IO delivery method can be appropriately used outside what had been traditional health care settings for this type of therapy. With patient safety and quality issues always at the core of clinicians' minds, this consensus paper offers an effective and safe alternative for care delivery."

The paper will be published in the November/December 2010 issue of the Journal of Infusion Nursing.

The Infusion Nurses Society (INS) is a professional association dedicated to enhancing infusion practices that will improve patient outcomes. Recognized as the global authority in infusion therapy, INS is dedicated to exceeding the public's expectations of excellence by setting the standard for infusion care.

SOURCE Infusion Nurses Society

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