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Short report
Establishing intravenous access in an emergency situation
  1. Leonard Marc Quinn1,
  2. Adnan Sheikh2
  1. 1Department of General Surgery, Mersey Deanery, Liverpool, UK
  2. 2Department of General Surgery, Warrington District General Hospital, Warrington, UK
  1. Correspondence to Leonard Marc Quinn, Department of General Surgery, Mersey Deanery, Regatta Place, Brunswick Park, Liverpool L3 4BL, UK; marc.quinn{at}doctors.org.uk

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/emermed-2012-202106

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    Introduction

    Obtaining emergency intravenous access in a peripherally shut down patient can be challenging even for the most experienced clinician; however, it is paramount for the delivery of life saving drugs and fluids. Ultrasonography has been used for guided peripheral access but has shown no advantage being user-dependant.1 ,2

    Method

    The authors use a simple technique which involves applying a tourniquet above the elbow and establishing intravenous access in the dorsum of the hand with a blue (22G) venflon. The tourniquet is left on and immediately 100 ml of normal saline is infused by compressing the …

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors Both authors made equal contribution to the letter.

    • Competing interests None.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

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