Advantages of the EZ-IO in patient care

The EZ-IO line can be inserted into either the tibia or humerus, allowing for rapid placement in a variety of clinical situations. For alert patients, the patented EZ-IO design reduces the pain of insertion. Often established as a bridging device to stabilize the patient before placing a central line, the EZ-IO catheter remains secure during patient care activities while providing delivery of any drug, fluid, or blood product required in the patient’s treatment.

In the emergency department setting, IO access with less complications  than placing central lines, especially during resuscitations. Several studies show femoral lines have blood stream infection rates of about 9 percent when placed in the ICU, and those rates are certainly higher when the line is placed in the ED. These infections translate to significantly higher costs for patient treatment and increase patient morbidity and mortality.

Recent studies have proven that drugs administered intraosseously (IO) in the proximal humerus, even during a cardiac arrest, reach the heart at the same rate as drugs given through a central line. With the EZ-IO, physicians are now able to avoid femoral line placement in most patients, while gaining stable and effective vascular access in mere seconds. This is better for patients, better for physicians, and better for hospitals.