Bone Injection Gun (BIG)

[MMiz]

Every month every EMT and Paramedic receives a report from our CQI team. It lists any errors we made in documentation, how mant times we ran RLS, our average response times, and our success rate for certain skills.

Medics were sometimes struggling to gain IV access, and the CQI team believed it was detrimental to the patient's condition.

ALS units now carry the Bone Injection Gun, an automatic intraosseous (IO) infusion device from Israeli company WaisMed Ltd.

I know this has been discussed before, but for those ALS units that have access to the tool, do you find it helpful?

 

[DT4EMS]

I can just say there are a lot of services that have changed over from the BIG to the EZ-IO.

 

[Firechic]

I am trying to remember why we didn't go with the B.I.G., but there was something we, as paramedics, did not like. My department went with the EZ-IO and the bone drill.

 

[ParamedicBrian2000]

The BIG isn't that great. We used the EZ-IO during it's FDA field trials and decided to place it on every unit. It is quite expensive and the IO needles are about $100 each. It works great though. Currently the FDA has not approved it for pediatric use but that is expected to happen. If your service can afford the EZ-IO it is definately the way to go. We actually used it on a hypoglycemic pt for the ER MD once because they could not get an IV or a central line.

 

[EMT-P Intl]

Seen the Bone Injection Gun on Ambex, the East Midland Ambulance service showed it with enthuthiasm. they say they use it once every 3 days with 0 failure rate.

as far as i know the EZIO is mainly used in the US.

 

[akflightmedic]

Once every 3 days????

I would check to see what medic/s shift is every 3rd day....lol

Seriously, I have used the FAST, the BIG, and the EZ IO in ground ambulance and flight medicine in civilian and military populations. By far the best, most easy to use, quick to setup and deliver is the EZ IO. It wins hands down every time in my mind and for mosy of the services I have worked for. Any more specific questions??? I will answer to the best of my ability.

 

[Ridryder911]

Ditto.. I too would check why that 3'rd day why they can't start IV's?.. JEMS has an article of the misuse of I/O already occurring.

R/r 911

 

[ffmedic]

EZ-IO here. We do the humoral head as well but so seldom we don't have much experience. Lots of leg IO's when we can. Never heard of the BIG.

 

[FFEMT1764]

Well being from the backwoods area that I am from we just now got the BIG on our trucks. We wanted the EZIO but med control didnt like the idea of us having a power drill on the truck...of course we are still waiting to get RSI here...the BIG seems easy enough to use, just hope that I never have to use it.