- In general, indications for both adults and children include:
- Failure to gain intravenous access in a resuscitation, trauma or peri-arrest setting allowing stabilization and facilitation of definitive, long-term intravenous access
- Failure to gain access in a life-threatening situation within a short period of time
• Specific recommendations include:
Organisation
Recommendation
Adults
Resus Council
'Route of choice during cardiac arrest if IV access is not possible or associated with a delay in the first 2 minutes of resuscitation'
Adults
European Resus Council
'If intravenous access is difficult or impossible'
Adults
NICE
'For circulatory access in patients with major trauma in hospital settings: where peripheral intravenous access fails while central access is being achieved'
Children
Advance Life Support Group
'Recommended technique for circulatory access in paediatric cardiac arrest. Indicated if other attempts at venous access fail or will take longer than 1 minute'
Children
European Resus Council
'Any case, in critically ill children, if attempts at establishing intravenous (IV) access are unsuccessful after one minute'