[Invasive emergency techniques - intraosseous devices]

On-site invasive emergency procedures, such as cricothyroidotomy, chest drainages, intraosseous puncture or the even rarer on-site amputations, are often unavoidable when indicated, and present a major challenge for the emergency physician. Personal, temporal or local conditions are often unsuitable. Even with regular participation in the emergency medical services, "last resort" measures occur very infrequently, particularly in paediatric emergencies. As well as theoretical training, practice-oriented course concepts are essential in order to achieve high quality in these procedures. In this article we describe the use of intraosseous devices on adults and children, with reference to the indication, implementation, problems and risks. It is the third part of a series of four articles on the subject of invasive emergency techniques.