RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The military recommends that a 500 mL bolus of Hextend® be administered via an intravenous (IV) 18-gauge needle or via an intraosseous (IO) needle for patients in hypovolemic shock. PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to compare the time of administration of Hextend and the hemodynamics of IV and IO routes in a Class II hemorrhage swine model. METHODS: This was an experimental study using 27 swine. After 30% of their blood volume was exsanguinated, 500 mL of Hextend was administered IV or IO, but not to the control group. Hemodynamic data were collected every 2 minutes until administration was complete. RESULTS: Time for administration was not significant (p=.78). No significant differences existed between the IO and IV groups relative to hemodynamics (p>.05), but both were significantly different than the control group (p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: The IO route is an effective method of administering Hextend.