Intraosseous catheter placement technique in rabbits | Vetlexicon Lapis from Vetlexicon

Introduction

Purpose: to access the intramedullary cavity of long bones and use it as an alternative route for administering fluid therapy in the absence of a good IV route.
The rate of absorption of a substance from the bone marrow is equivalent to that from a peripheral vein.

Fluid therapy Fluid therapy and administration of medication in a rabbit with circulatory collapse or in a neonatal rabbit. Anything that can be given IV can be given IO.
Drug administration in a case of cardiac arrest.
Blood transfusion Blood: transfusion can also be done through IO route.
The same technique can be used to collect a sample of bone marrow.
Reserve IO catheterization for severely ill rabbits or when attempts to get access to a vein have failed.

Useful when IV sites unavailable or unobtainable.
Rate of absorption is greater than that from a peripheral vein in a shocked patient.

Can cause considerable pain and distress and should not therefore be used without appropriate analgesia/anesthesia, particularly in conscious patients.
Contraindicated in the presence of local infections over the entry site.
Contraindicated in cases of septic shock as risk of osteomyelitis is high.
Risk of introducing infection and causing osteomyelitis if sterile technique is not used.
Rate of administration can be slower than with the IV route.