Current status of establishing a venous line in CPA patients by Emergency Life-Saving Technicians in the prehospital setting in Japan and a proposal for intraosseous infusion.

Introduction It is important to have a venous line in cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) patients as an emergency treatment measure in prehospital settings, but establishment of a peripheral venous line is difficult in such patients. This study aimed to investigate the current status of intravenous infusion (IVI) in CPA patients by Emergency Life-Saving Technicians (ELSTs) in Japan. We also considered alternative measures in case IVI was difficult or impossible.