Hydroxocobalamin is an effective cyanide antidote when administered intravenously. Although intraosseous (IO) access is often used in critically ill patients with difficult or delayed IV access, the efficacy of IO administration has not been investigated until recently.
In a recent randomized animal study, acute cyanide toxicity was induced in two groups of swine where 150 mg/kg Hydroxocobalamin was administered via IV vs. IO. The survival rate, reversal of hypotension, and laboratory results were similar between the IV and IO group.
The finding of this study suggest that IO administration of Hydroxocobalamin is as efficacious as IV administration and its administration in acute cyanide toxicity should not be delayed due to lack of IV access when IO access is available.
References
Bebarta VS, Pitotti RL, Bondreau S and Tanen DA. Intraosseus versus intravenous infusion of hydroxocobalamin for the treatment of acute severe cyanide toxicity in a swine model. Academic Emergency Medicine. 2014; 21 (11): 1203-1211.
