Administration of Medicines Flashcards
Dysphagia can be caused by:
Physical obstruction of the pharynx or oesophagus
Disease of the brain
Disease of smooth muscle of oesophagus or skeletal muscle of pharynx
Reduced saliva
Medical term for difficulty with swallowing
Dysphagia
Mode of action of swallowing
Swallowing is a complex action involving the muscles and nerves within the pharynx and oesophagus and the swallowing centre in the brain
In the UK medicines are primarily given via the ____ route
oral
Possible solutions for oral medications
Training on swallowing, (think like a frog)
Considering shape
Dispersing a non-dispersible
Crushing or breaking
Changing to another product eg liquid, dispersible
SALT assessment
What types of tablets cannot be crushed or broken?
Enteric-Coated (EC)
Modified-release (MR)
Disadvantages of crushing or breaking tablets
May lead to: Toxicity ADRs Lack of effect S/C may just make them taste nasty
Define enteric coating
The coating is designed to hold together in acid conditions and break down in non-acid conditions and therefore release the drug into the intestines.
3 reasons for putting such a coating on a tablet or capsule ingredient:
- To protect the stomach from the drug
- To protect the drug from the stomach
- To release the drug after the stomach e.g. in the intestines
Drugs which most commonly cause stomach ulcers
aspirin, diclofenac and naproxen
[This is why enteric-coated tablets for these drugs are given in this form, to stop stomach ulcers caused by the drugs]
What drug is used either for the treatment of arthritis or for the treatment of Crohn’s disease (inflammation of the intestines)
Sulfasalazine
TRUE OR FALSE?
When used for arthritis, it is very often given without an enteric coating so that it can be absorbed more quickly
TRUE
TRUE OR FALSE?
For Crohn’s, it is needed to work in the intestines so it is given an enteric coating
TRUE
Is omeprazole a drug which stops the stomach from producing acid?
Yes
Does omeprazole generally have an enteric-coating (EC) or modified-release (MR)?
Enteric-coating (EC)
…either as a granule in the capsules or as a granule in the dispersible form
What does modified-release tablet mean?
the escape of the drug from the tablet has been modified in some way