Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena

Abstract

Background: Finding venous access in critically ill children is an essential procedure to save patients' lives, it can require multiple attempts and be very stressful for healthcare professionals. The intraosseous route is an effective option for fast and safe venous access. Intraosseous access means the placement of a hollow needle through the cortex of the bone for drug infusion and/or blood sampling, its first use dates back to 1922 and today it is recommended by many guidelines. Despite this, intraosseous access is still little used. Specific training on the use of intraosseous access for doctors and nurses is essential. Objective: the objective of this thesis is to understand if the intraosseous access used in pediatric patients in critical emergency conditions allows a rapid and safe way to save the patient's life and highlight what his role will be in the future. Method: for the elaboration of this thesis it was decided to carry out a review of the literature. A search was carried out using the databases PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Medline Complete and Google Scholar. The recently published articles, in Italian and English and in full text, have been selected. Results: This literature review shows that intraosseous access is faster, safer and cheaper than other intravenous routes, so it has a strong recommendation. Specific continuing education is recommended for healthcare professionals on its use. Conclusions: studies are lacking to increase the belief that the intraosseous route to date is the safest and fastest one. The future of intraosseous access foresees the need for dissemination of the method and the need for training of personnel involved in emergencies. To facilitate its use, a reduction in the costs of the device is necessary.