[Preclinical use of intraosseous access (IO) in adults: literature review and case reports]

The treatment of acute life threatening conditions normally requires intravenous access for further therapeutic measures. In the current guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC), published in November 2005, the significance of intraosseous access had been newly regulated. Nevertheless two years after publication of these guidelines, intraosseous acccess in adults is still only implemented sporadically. The translation of scientific knowledge into clinical practise takes several years as a general rule. The following article illustrates the basic literature and two case reports, and is designed to inspire trust in a method, which can provide a useful alternative to peripheral venous access for the emergency physician.