Ok…IV therapy was interesting.  IO therapy rocks!   Injecting fluid into the bone marrow.  Sounds a trifle harsh, doesn’t it?   The really awesome part of IO is that it is fast.  It doesn’t seem to take nearly as long to get an IO line established compared to an IV.   Clean the site (arm, knee, sternum), position the correct IO tool (BIG, Bone Injection Gun, FAST for sternal, etc) and pull the trigger or press the button.  You’re in.  Flush the port and hook up the bag of fluids.  Ron told us that many EMS agencies are looking at stopping IV and going with IO instead.  It’s faster and has a better success rate.

The only IO method that seemed really intimidating was the FAST that goes into the sternum.  It’s the nasty looking thing with 8 needles.  It was designed for the military, since the sternum is usually protected by body armor.