Intraosseous Access Research Articles

Advanced Vascular Access in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care.

In canine and feline patients presenting in a state of hemodynamic collapse, obtaining vascular access can be challenging. Delays in achieving vascular access interfere with delivery of patient care. In human medicine, definitions of difficult vascular access are variable and include the need for multiple placement attempts or involvement of specialized teams and equipment. Incidence and risk factors for difficult vascular access have not been well studied in veterinary patients, which limits understanding of how best to address this issue. Alternatives to percutaneous peripheral or central intravenous catheterization in dogs and cats include venous cutdowns, umbilical access in newborns, corpus cavernosum access in males, ultrasound-guided catheterization, and intraosseous catheterization. In recent years, advances in ultrasonography and intraosseous access techniques have made these more accessible to veterinary practitioners. These vascular access techniques are reviewed here, along with advantages, limitations, and areas for future study of each technique.

Симуляційне навчання з надання екстреної медичної допомоги

Актуальність. Реформування системи навчання висуває на перший план проблему вдосконалення медичної освіти. Актуальним залишається підвищення рівня володіння практичними навичками під час надання екстреної медичної допомоги. Симуляційне навчання є найбільш прийнятним у даній ситуації. Головні ознаки симуляційного навчання — це можливість використання муляжів, манекенів або статистів для повноти та реалістичності моделювання об’єкта; відпрацювання конкретних практичних навичок за чітким алгоритмом дії з використанням сучасної апаратури та без завдання шкоди здоров’ю людини; відпрацювання командної роботи в імітованій конкретній ситуації. Мета: провести аналіз ефективності симуляційного навчання студентів старших курсів з надання екстреної медичної допомоги на кафедрі медицини катастроф Запорізького державного медичного університету. Матеріали та методи. Був проведений ретроспективний аналіз ефективності симуляційного навчання студентів п’ятого та шостого курсів за 2015–2017 навчальний рік. Ефективність навчання оцінювалась за допомогою тестування, анкетування та залікового оцінювання практичних навичок на муляжах та манекенах. Результати. У створеному навчально-тренувальному класі навчання проводиться згідно з робочою програмою з використанням додаткового оснащення. Заняття давали теоретичні знання та практичні навички первинного огляду критичного хворого, відновлення та підтримки прохідності дихальних шляхів, компресії грудної клітки, внутрішньовенного та внутрішньокісткового введення медикаментів, роботи з автоматичним зовнішнім та професійним дефібриляторами, роботи в команді, тимчасової зупинки зовнішньої кровотечі, вивчались сучасні способи транспортної іммобілізації, проведення первинного медичного сортування. Оцінка виживання знань та практичних навичок у студентів п’ятого курсу проводилася через рік, під час проходження ними курсу дистанційного навчання. Аналіз навчання показав, що студенти п’ятого та шостого курсів мають достатні теоретичні знання щодо алгоритму базової серцево-легеневої реанімації (82,2 ± 2,4 % та 89,2 ± 3,8 % відповідно); знання основних медикаментів, які використовуються під час розширеної серцево-легеневої реанімації (78,6 ± 2,4 % та 85,7 ± 2,4 % відповідно); вміння якісно проводити компресійні стиснення грудної клітки (88,2 ± 1,2 % та 89,4 ± 1,8 % відповідно), але низький рівень володіння практичними навичками відновлення прохідності дихальних шляхів (32,8 ± 2,2 %); роботи з автоматичним зовнішнім (18,5 ± 2,0 %) або професійним (16,3 ± 2,0 %) дефібриляторами; катетеризації периферійної вени або внутрішньокісткового доступу (17,3 ± 2,0 %). Висновки. Симуляційне навчання дає змогу студентам опанувати означені практичні навички в достатньому обсязі.

43 The Importance of Intraosseous Placement Location on Infusion Rates and Infusion Pressures in a High Bone Density Humerus and Sternum Cadaveric Swine (Sus Scrofa) Model

Intraosseous (IO) access is an emergent bridge to central venous access for the critically ill and injured. To effectively infuse fluids or blood products intraosseously, infusion flow rates must be sufficient to sustain life but at pressures that are low enough to avoid complications. However, published reports indicate that up to 30% of landmark-based IO catheter placements are suboptimal, which can result in low infusion flow rates at elevated infusion pressures. What was needed was a randomized prospective cadaveric study to determine infusion flow rates, mean pressures, and peak pressures based on IO catheter tip placements.

374 User Characteristics of Six Intraosseous Devices in a High Bone Density Humerus and Sternum Cadaveric Swine (Sus Scrofa) Model

Intraosseous (IO) infusion, the pressurized injection of fluids into bone through a catheter, is a life-preserving resuscitative technique for treating critical care patients and trauma patients with severe hemorrhage. To be effective as a bridge to central venous access, IO infusion flow rates must be sufficient to sustain life but at pressures low enough to avoid complications. However, little is known regarding end user characteristics of available battery-powered and manual IO devices. User characteristics are important, because to be efficient and effective, an IO device should optimally have a minimal set-up (placement) time and be perceived as easy and comfortable to use, resistant to bending and displacement, effective and trustworthy in meeting the demands of rapid resuscitation, and cause minimal hand fatigue. The present study was specifically designed to fill this important gap in the literature. Three experienced emergency medicine residents each inserted a variety of commercially available 15-gauge IO catheters in cadaveric swine (Sus scrofa) proximal humeri and sternums with bone density similar to adult humans (1.0-1.1 gm/cm2) in a randomized prospective experimental design, and then infused 500 cc of isotonic crystalloid using push-pull technique with a 60cc syringe. Devices included the battery-powered EZ-IO Rapid Infuser and the manual Jamshidi IO, Persys NIO, SAM Manual IO, Tactical Advanced Lifesaving IO Needle (TALON), and PYNG FASTR devices (30 trials per device, 10 per user). Pressures were measured using an in-line manometer. Subjective user characteristics were assessed across eight Likert-type items, which were analyzed individually and as a composite score. Objective and user ratings data were analyzed using ANOVA and nonparametric statistics at p<.05. Infusion flow rates, mean pressures, and peak pressures were generally similar across devices and locations, save that the TALON in the sternum conferred roughly 50% higher flow rates at 30% lower mean pressures and 15% lower peak pressures than other devices in sternum or humerus (each p<.0001). The EZ-IO demonstrated the fastest set-up times and the highest composite user ratings (Figure 1), including highest ratings for each of the eight survey items (p<.0001). The TALON conferred intermediate set-up times and next-highest user ratings overall. The Jamshidi had the longest set-up times, the slowest infusion rates, and relatively low user ratings. IO access devices differ in construction, method of application, effectiveness, and user characteristics. The commonly used battery-powered EZ-IO had the fastest set-up times and the highest user ratings. While the present study was limited by the utilization of a cadaveric swine model rather than an in vivo model, findings suggest the possibility that the TALON, which performed well in objective assessments and user ratings, may be worth considering as a manual backup to the battery-operated EZ-IO Rapid Infuser. Combined, these results highlight the importance of studying the end user characteristics of IO infusion devices towards preserving the lives of critically ill or injured patients requiring rapid fluid or blood product resuscitation.

Management of Shock in the Pediatric Emergency Unit of the National Teaching Hospital HKM (CNHU-HKM) in Cotonou

Introduction: The mortality of severely ill children presenting with life-threatening emergencies remains high in emerging countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the management of shock in the pediatric emergency department of the CNHU in accordance with WHO guidelines. Methods: The cross-sectional study covered the period from 1 November 2019 to 31 October 2020. All records of children aged 1 month to 18 years, who presented with shock, were analysed after implementation of life-saving measures. Results: The hospital incidence of shock was 2.6%, and its diagnosis was made on admission in 81.2% of cases. The median age of the children was 29.50 months. Septic shock occurred in 50% of cases. Mortality was 50%, related to the presence of fever on admission. The triage and sequence of management was correct. However, the median time to care was 30 minutes, the use of the intraosseous access was non-existent, and traceability should be improved. Conclusion: The introduction of an intraosseous kit is essential in order to reduce management delays. The priority remains the fight against infectious pathologies.

Comparison of intraosseous and intravenous epinephrine administration during resuscitation of asphyxiated newborn lambs

ObjectiveIntraosseous access is recommended as a reasonable alternative for vascular access during newborn resuscitation if umbilical access is unavailable, but there are minimal reported data in newborns. We compared intraosseous...

The association of intraosseous vascular access and survival among pediatric patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

IntroductionIn pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) the effect of intraosseous (IO) or intravenous (IV) access on outcomes is unclear. MethodsWe analyzed prospectively collected data of non-traumatic OHCA in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium registry from 2011 to 2015. We included EMS-treated patients ≤17 years of age, classified patients based on vascular access routes, and calculated success rates of IO and IV attempts. After excluding patients with obvious non-cardiac etiologies and those with unsuccessful vascular access or multiple routes, we fit a logistic regression model to evaluate the association of IO vascular access (reference IV access) with the primary outcome of survival, using multiple imputation to address missing data. We analyzed a subgroup of patients at least 2 years of age. ResultsThere were 1549 non-traumatic OHCA: 895 (57.8%) patients had an IO line attempted with 822 (91.8%) successful; 488 (31.5%) had an IV line attempted with 345 (70.7%) successful (difference 21%, 95% CI 17 to 26%). Of the 761 patients included in our logistic regression, 601 received IO (30 [5.2%] survived) and 160 received IV (40 [25%] survived) vascular access. Intraosseous access was associated with a decreased probability of survival (adjusted OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.21–0.98). Patients at least 2 years of age showed a similar association (adjusted OR 0.36; CI 0.15–0.86). ConclusionsIntraosseous access was associated with decreased survival among pediatric non-traumatic OHCA. These results are exploratory and support the need for further study to evaluate the effect of intravascular access method on outcomes.

Intraosseous vascular access in emergency and trauma settings: a comparison of the most universally used intraosseous devices

ABSTRACT Introduction: Obtaining successful vascular access is an essential component of the emergency and trauma setting. The modern practice of medicine advocates IO access for patients in a critical condition, especially when IV access is problematic or unobtainable. Various medical devices allowing for IO access have been coined and used in the management of critical patients. Areas covered: This study aims to review the literature regarding different intraosseous devices used to obtain vascular access (Bone Injection Gun (BIG), EZ-IO, NIO, Jamshidi, and First Access for Shock and Trauma (FAST-1) and discuss their clinical and experimental role in the emergency and trauma settings. Expert opinion: The development of medical technology contributes to an increasing number of intraosseous devices facilitating vascular access in challenging scenarios, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, anaphylactic, or hypovolemic shock. Each of these devices provides an effective route for fluid resuscitation, drug delivery, laboratory evaluation, and shortening the timeframe for established vascular access, provided that the person obtaining the access is acquainted with the use of the device.

Comparison of three intraosseous access devices for resuscitation of term neonates: a randomised simulation study

ObjectivesTo compare the success rates and ease of use of three intraosseous (IO) access devices used in term neonates.DesignA three-arm randomised controlled simulation study was conducted.SettingA simulation laboratory.ParticipantsSeventy-two paediatric residents...

Single Versus Double Anatomic Site Intraosseous Blood Transfusion in a Swine Model of Hemorrhagic Shock

Blood transfusion via single site intraosseous access is a critical modality when caring for a trauma victim that lacks intravascular access. Flow rates and potential clinical complications when utilizing two sites of intraosseous access are not well known. Anesthetized adult female Yorkshire swine (Sus scrofa; n=48; 76.7 ± 1.75kg; range 66-90kg) were cannulated and then bled approximately 30% total blood volume. Swine were randomly assigned to treatment groups: single sited humerus, single sited sternum, dual sited humerus or dual sited humerus and sternum. Flow rates, hemolysis, physiologic measurements, biochemical variables, and pulmonary histologic inflammation and occlusion were contrasted between groups. Dual sited intraosseous transfusion flow rates (128ml/min, 95% CI 123-132) were double the flow rates of single sites (65ml/min, 95% CI 60-70), P < .0001.Single sited humeral flow rates were greater than sternal flow rates, with respective averages of 74ml/min and 55ml/min, though not reaching statistical significance (P < 0.17). There was no significant elevation of plasma free hemoglobin in any group after transfusion as compared to baseline (P=0.7). Groups did not significantly differ in vitals or biochemical variables. Most pulmonary specimens had some intraparenchymal fat embolism, however no animals had evidence of occlusive intra-arterial fat embolism. Dual anatomic site, pressure bag driven, intraosseous blood transfusion approximately doubles flow rates without evidence of clinical complications or hemolysis. Further research using a survivability model is needed to characterize long-term complications from pressurized IO transfusions.

Emergency department management of severely injured children in New South Wales

Presentations to EDs for major paediatric injury are considerably lower than for adults. International studies report lower levels of critical intervention, including intubation, required in injured children. A New South Wales study demonstrated an adverse event rate of 7.6% in children with major injury. Little is known about the care and interventions received by children presenting to Australian EDs with major injury. The ED care of injured children <16 years who ultimately received definitive care at a New South Wales Paediatric Trauma Centre between July 2015 and September 2016, and had an Injury Severity Score ≥9, required intensive care admission or died were included. There were 491 injured children who received treatment at 64 EDs, half (49.4%, n= 243) were treated initially in a Paediatric Trauma Centre. One third (32.8%) sustained an Injury Severity Score >12, more than half (n= 251, 51.1%) of children were classified as a triage category 1 or 2, and 38.3% received trauma team activation. Critical intervention was infrequent. Intubation was documented in 9.2% (n= 45), needle thoracostomy and activation of massive transfusion protocol in two (0.4%) and eight (1.6%) had intraosseous access established. Only a small proportion (14.7%, n= 63) had two or more observations outside the normal range. A small proportion of children arriving in the ED post-major trauma have deranged clinical observations and receive critical interventions. The limited exposure in the management of trauma in paediatric patients requires measures to ensure clinicians have adequate training, skills and confidence to manage these clinical presentations in all EDs.

Comparison of intravascular access methods applied by nurses wearing personal protective equipment in simulated COVID-19 resuscitation: A randomized crossover simulation trial.

BackgroundPrehospital emergency care of children is challenging. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, when medical personnel should use personal protective equipment against aerosol-generating procedures, the efficiency of medical procedures may decrease. The study objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of different intravascular access methods applied by nurses wearing biosafety Level-2 suits in simulated paediatric COVID-19 resuscitation.MethodsA prospective, randomized, crossover, single-blinded simulation trial was performed. Nursing staff attending Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support courses accredited by the American Heart Association participated in the study. A total of 65 nurses were recruited and randomly assigned to different study groups. They received standard training on intravascular access methods employing distinct devices. The participants wore biosafety Level-2 suits and performed vascular access with the following intraosseous devices: NIO-P, EZ-IO, and Jamshidi needle; intravenous (IV) access was used as a reference method. Both the order of participants and the access methods were random. Each participant performed intravascular access with each of the four methods tested. The effectiveness of the first attempt to obtain intravascular access and the following time parameters were analysed: the time between grasping the intravascular device out of the original packing until infusion line connection. The ease of the procedure was measured with a visual analogue scale (1 – easy; 10 – difficult).ResultsThe first attempt success rate of intravascular access by using NIO-P and EZ-IO equalled 100% and was statistically significantly higher than that with the Jamshidi needle (80.0%; p = 0.02) and with the IV method (69.2%; p = 0.005). The time required to connect the infusion line varied and amounted to 33 ± 4 s for NIO-P compared to 37 ± 6.7 s for EZ-IO (p<0.001), 43 ± 7 s for Jamshidi (p<0.001), and 98.5 ± 10 s for IV access (p<0.001). The procedure was easiest in the case of NIO-P and EZ-IO (2 ± 1 points; p=1.0) compared with Jamshidi (5 ± 3 points; p<0.001) and IV access (7 ± 2 points; p<0.001).ConclusionThe study provides evidence that nurses wearing biosafety Level-2 suits were able to obtain intraosseous access faster and more effectively as compared with IV access during simulated COVID-19 paediatric resuscitation. The most effective method of intravascular access was the NIO-P intraosseous device. Further clinical trials are necessary to confirm the results.

Epilepsy: recognition and management of seizures in children and young people

A seizure describes the signs and symptoms associated with a sudden surge in brain activity. It is a symptom of either acute brain disturbance, or may indicate a diagnosis of epilepsy, which describes an underlying tendency to have seizures. There are many different seizure types, which account for the wide variation in seizure symptoms. The principles of management remain constant for all seizure types: maintain child safety, ABC support, and arrange emergency assistance and hospital transfer for prolonged episodes. In addition to this, tonic-clonic seizures lasting for more than 5 minutes require treatment with benzodiazepines. Buccal midazolam or rectal diazepam are first-line options when intravenous or intraosseous access is not available. Children and young people with epilepsy should have individualised treatment plans which, if available, further simplify emergency treatment decisions.

Cutaneous Complications Associated With Intraosseous Access Placement.

Intraosseous (IO) access provides a potentially lifesaving means of vascular access in settings of trauma and advanced cardiovascular life support in which patients often require prompt and large volumes of fluid resuscitation, blood products, and medications. An additional benefit of IO access is the rare incidence of complications, with many studies reporting rates of less than 1%. The most commonly cited complications include compartment syndrome, osteomyelitis, traumatic bone fracture, and epiphyseal plate damage. To evaluate the dermatologic sequelae, we performed a retrospective chart review spanning 18 consecutive months to identify patients who underwent IO line placement, either at or en route to a large metropolitan level I trauma center in the Midwestern United States. Our review identified a complication rate of 2.7%, with complications including compartment syndrome, needle breakage, and a previously unreported cutaneous complication of traumatic bullae.

Sternal Intraosseous Devices: Review of the Literature.

IntroductionThe intraosseous (IO) route is one of the primary means of vascular access in critically ill and injured patients. The most common sites used are the proximal humerus, proximal tibia, and sternum. Sternal IO placement remains an often-overlooked option in emergency and prehospital medicine. Due to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq the use of sternal IOs have increased.MethodsThe authors conducted a limited review, searching PubMed and Google Scholar databases for “sternal IO,” “sternal intraosseous,” and “intraosseous” without specific date limitations. A total of 47 articles were included in this review.ResultsSternal IOs are currently FDA approved for ages 12 and older. Sternal IO access offers several anatomical, pharmacokinetic, hemodynamic, and logistical advantages over peripheral intravenous and other IO points of access. Sternal IO use carries many of the same risks and limitations as the humeral and tibial sites. Sternal IO gravity flow rates are sufficient for transfusing blood and resuscitation. In addition, studies demonstrated they are safe during active CPR.ConclusionThe sternal IO route remains underutilized in civilian settings. When considering IO vascular access in adults or older children, medical providers should consider the sternum as the recommended IO access, particularly if the user is a novice with IO devices, increased flow rates are required, the patient has extremity trauma, or administration of a lipid soluble drug is anticipated.

INTRAOSSEUS ACCESS BY AMBULANCE

Background. Emergency physicians often have difficulty providing vascular access to patients in critical condition. In these conditions, intraosseous access has an advantage over traditional peripheral vein catheterization. Currently, intraosseous access is not widely used at the stage of emergency medical care.Aim. Analysis and generalization of current information on the use of the method of intraosseous access to emergency medicine.Materials and methods. We have found publications in Russian and international search engines (PubMed, eLIBRARY, etc.) over the past 20 years. Publications reflected current issues of intraosseous access application. 74 articles were found and 30 were selected for review.Results. Intraosseous access showed good results in patients with weakly expressed venous network at the stage of emergency medical care. The method has a simple technique of manipulation, does not have a large number of complications and contraindications. Doctors who have received training often use intraosseous access, taking into account the indications for use.Conclusion. Intraosseous access has an advantage over peripheral intravenous access in patients in critical condition at the stages of emergency care.

Do PGY-1 residents in Emergency Medicine have enough experiences in resuscitations and other clinical procedures to meet the requirements of a Competence by Design curriculum?

BackgroundWith the transition to a Competence by Design (CBD) curriculum, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Emergency Medicine (FRCP-EM) training has created guidelines on experiences residents should have before progressing. We sought to quantify adult medical resuscitations and clinical procedures completed by PGY1 FRCP-EM residents to compare them to CBD requirements with the aim to identify areas of limited exposure requiring curriculum revisions prior to nation-wide CBD implementation.MethodsTwenty-two PGY1 residents from four FRCP-EM programs recorded their activities from July 2017 to June 2018 in an online log that tracked resuscitations and procedures along with role assumed, supervision, and level of comfort.ResultsIn total 515 resuscitations were logged with the median number per resident 15 (range 0 to 98). The most frequent resuscitation was altered mental status and the least was unstable dysrhythmia. 557 total procedures were logged with the median number 75 (range 8 to 273). The most frequent procedure done was simple laceration repair and the least frequent was intraosseous access.ConclusionsUnstable dysrhythmias and cardiorespiratory arrest along with intraosseous access and arthrocentesis are low event clinical exposures. In the era of CBD, the misalignment of entrustrable professional activity (EPA) targets and curriculum delivery should be monitored/reviewed to ensure expectations are realistic and that sufficient exposures are available.

Intraosseous versus intravenous vascular access during cardiopulmonary resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

IntroductionThis study is aimed to investigate the association of intraosseous (IO) versus intravenous (IV) route during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science from the database inception through April 2020. Our search strings included designed keywords for two concepts, i.e. vascular access and cardiac arrest. There were no limitations implemented in the search strategy. We selected studies comparing IO versus IV access in neurological or survival outcomes after OHCA. Favourable neurological outcome at hospital discharge was pre-specified as the primary outcome. We pooled the effect estimates in random-effects models and quantified the heterogeneity by the I2 statistics. Time to intervention, defined as time interval from call for emergency medical services to establishing vascular access or administering medications, was hypothesized to be a potential outcome moderator and examined in subgroup analysis with meta-regression.ResultsNine retrospective observational studies involving 111,746 adult OHCA patients were included. Most studies were rated as high quality according to Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The pooled results demonstrated no significant association between types of vascular access and the primary outcome (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27–1.33; I2, 95%). In subgroup analysis, time to intervention was noted to be positively associated with the pooled OR of achieving the primary outcome (OR: 3.95, 95% CI, 1.42–11.02, p: 0.02). That is, when the studies not accounting for the variable of “time to intervention” in the statistical analysis were pooled together, the meta-analytic results between IO access and favourable outcomes would be biased toward inverse association. No obvious publication bias was detected by the funnel plot.ConclusionsThe meta-analysis revealed no significant association between types of vascular access and neurological outcomes at hospital discharge among OHCA patients. Time to intervention was identified to be an important outcome moderator in this meta-analysis of observation studies. These results call for the need for future clinical trials to investigate the unbiased effect of IO use on OHCA CPR.

Intraosseous vascular access using the EZ-IO can be safely maintained in the adult proximal humerus and proximal tibia for up to 48 h: Report of a clinical study.

Historically, intraosseous (IO) vascular access devices cleared to market by the US FDA have been restricted to 24-h use. An observational study was conducted to determine the safety of IO access for a period up to 48 h in adult volunteers. A 2-arm randomized, stratified, parallel assignment, prospective interventional study was conducted at ICON Early Phase Services in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Study subjects were adult volunteers who were healthy or with a history of mild to moderate renal disease and/or controlled diabetes. Subjects were randomized to receive IO access (Arrow EZ-IO Vascular Access System, Teleflex Medical Incorporated, Morrisville, NC, USA) in the proximal humerus or the proximal tibia and maintain the indwelling catheter for 48 h. Subjects were monitored for the entire dwell time. A culture specimen was drawn from the indwelling catheter tip before removal and insertion site x-rays were taken. 121 subjects were randomized: 79 healthy, 39 with diabetes, and three with diabetes and renal insufficiency. The mean catheter dwell time was 48.0 ± 0.2 h. Overall first attempt success rate was 98.4%. Infusion pain was the most commonly reported adverse event. There were no serious complications or unanticipated adverse events. This is the first known study examining the safety of IO access over a 48-h dwell time. The study corroborates the literature findings, demonstrates device safety, and provides evidence supporting the extended indication for a dwell time to 48 h in adult patients. IO placement and infusion best practices/guidelines were confirmed or established.

Inexperienced but Confident: A Survey of Advanced Life Support Providers and Life-saving Interventions in the Israel Defense Forces.

The objective of this study was to assess the current experience of Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) advanced life support (ALS) providers in performing life-saving interventions (LSIs), the rate of doctors and paramedics achieving the Trauma and Combat Medicine Branch benchmarks, and the rate of providers feeling confident in performing the interventions although not achieving the benchmarks. This study was based on an online survey delivered to IDF ALS providers. The survey investigated demographics; experience in performing endotracheal intubation, cricothyroidotomy, tube thoracostomy, and intraosseous access on human patients; and confidence in performing these LSIs. All benchmarks chosen referred to the number of times performed in the previous year. The benchmarks were 20 for intubation, 3 for cricothyroidotomy, 4 for tube thoracostomy, and 3 for intraosseous access. During the survey period, 175 IDF ALS providers started the survey, but only 138 (79%) completed it, 93 (67%) of them were paramedics. Doctors had higher rates than paramedics of failing to achieve the benchmarks for intubation (96 vs. 57%, P < .001) and intraosseous access (100 vs. 66%, P < .001). All respondents failed to achieve the benchmark for cricothyroidotomy, and all but one paramedic failed to achieve the tube thoracostomy benchmark. Doctors had lower rates of high confidence when failing to achieve the benchmark for intubation (35 vs. 64%, P = .008) and intraosseous access (7 vs. 31%, P = .005) compared to paramedics. IDF ALS providers have alarmingly limited experience in performing LSIs. Many of them are confident in their ability despite not achieving evidence-based benchmarks. Additional training is required, maybe as a part of an annual medical fitness test.