Intraosseous Pressure Monitoring in Intensive Care Unit Patients

In emergency situations, access to the venous system is essential in order to administer fluids and medication and to monitor patients. When peripheral veins are difficult to access or the patient's condition requires certain medications, or monitoring, central venous catheters (CVC) are inserted. CVC placement introduces a much higher level of risk compared to peripheral catheters. The technique of intraosseous (IO) infusion has been used by healthcare professionals for several decades, but recently has gained wide popularity in the emergency care settings. This technique allows providers to secure a needle in the bony matrix at the ends of long bones (tibia and humerus) and infuse fluids and medications into the intramedullary space. The ability to monitor a patient's blood pressure through an intraosseous needle is unknown. The primary objective of this study is to describe the relationship (ratio) of intraosseous pressure (IOP) values to standard pressure values, including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and central venous pressure (CVP).