Since the release of the 2005 resuscitation guidelines intraosseous infusion has been recognized as the favorite alternative vascular access in emergency patients. It is no longer restricted to paediatric emergencies but is also considered the vascular access of choice for adult patients with difficult venous access. Intraosseous access has been used in an increasing proportion of patients especially in an out-of-hospital emergency care setting while only limited experience exists for in-hospital usage of this technique. This article reports on a case of intraosseous access performed in a critically ill patient directly after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to difficult peripheral venous access. Despite the extensive medical resources available in the ICU (i.e. central venous catheterization) less invasive means were used to render appropriate care. Based on this case different strategies of critical care and possible improvements will be discussed. Intraosseous infusion should be regarded as an infrequently needed but potentially life-saving procedure that is still too often considered as an option at later stages during in-hospital emergency care.

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