Abstract
Background In critically ill patients access to the circulation is crucial in the prehospital setting. If intravenous access is not obtained in timely manner it is now an international consensus of using intraosseous (IO) access as the secondary choice. We have studied the indications and use of IO access in the helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) in Oslo university hospital (OUH). This was combined with a literature review of the subject. Methods A literature search was performed in PubMed and 10 reviews were included. The transportation journals of the two helicopters of OUH during the period 02.05.14-01.05.17 were assessed. A total of 58 cases of use of IO access were identified and defined variables were extracted from these journals. Results 1.5 % of all the patients treated received IO, 1.7 % of the patients under 16 years and 1.4 % of the patients 16 years or older. Thirty of the 58 patients were pronounced dead at the scene, 90 % had a GCS (Glasgow coma scale) under 9. The last year of the study the number of patients receiving IO increased from 16 to 26 the previous two last years. Conclusion The number of patients treated with IO was low but comparable to numbers from other countries. There was no significant difference in use of IO among pediatric and adult patients as suggested in the literature. The rise in number of patients receiving IO suggests an increased use. Common for the patient group is severe illness.