Adoption of intraosseous infusion technique for prehospital pediatric emergency care.

A telephone survey was conducted, contacting 51 designated state EMS offices, to determine the extent of use of intraosseous (IO) infusions in prehospital pediatric emergency care nationally and to identify common means of promoting IO adoption, training EMS personnel, and monitoring intraosseous field use. Less than half of the respondents reported actual prehospital use of IO infusions in pediatric patients, and an additional third indicated that they were unaware of any future plans for introducing the technique into EMS practice. This study's documentation of the current limited prehospital use of intraosseous infusions indicates a need for concerted efforts to promote broad adoption and continued evaluation of the IO technique in prehospital pediatric emergency care. Suggestions to enhance adoption include increased utilization of existing successful IO teaching approaches, development of national EMS standards regarding intraosseous infusions, active involvement of EMS regulatory agencies for widespread practice changes, and consistent quality assurance activities.