Iontophoresis

Question 1

Is iontophoresis direct or alternating current?

Answer 1

direct

Question 2

what is iontophoresis?

Answer 2

meds have a charge and ionto drives ions through the skin with electricity

Question 3

What is the depth the medication can penetrate to?

Answer 3

up to 4mm

Question 4

T or F? once the meds diffuse through the skin it will spread through the rest of the body

Answer 4

false, the medication is thought to stay local

Question 5

what is lidocaine for?

Answer 5

pain

Question 6

is lidocain positive or negative? which electrode do you use?

Answer 6

positive
anode

Question 7

what is acetate for?

Answer 7

calcium deposits

Question 8

is acetate positive or negative? which electrode do you use?

Answer 8

negative
cathode

Question 9

what is dexamethasone-phosphate for?

Answer 9

msk inflammatory conditions

Question 10

is dexa-p positive or negative? which electrode do you use?

Answer 10

negative
cathode

Question 11

True or F? skinfold thickness impacts medication absorption

Answer 11

false

Question 12

does medication always penetrate the skin?

Answer 12

no

Question 13

if ionto is for superficial areas only and not all are absorbers, then what are some implications for treatment?

Answer 13

• not a first line treatment*
• superficial tendons only

Question 14

what is the skin to tendon depth of these tendons?
common extensor
achilles
patellar tendon

Answer 14

1.2mm*
1.6mm
3.1mm

Question 15

What is the best and worst case with achilles tendon application?

Answer 15

best - superficial areas only
worst - apply to non-absorber

Question 16

T or F? improvement is correlated with how much medication is absorbed

Answer 16

false! studies rarely measure absorption*

Question 17

40mA is the dose of med. how long will treatment take if patient can only tolerate 1mA a minute? 2mA a min?

Answer 17

40 mins
20 mins

Question 18

what are some ionto contraindications

Answer 18

• same for estim
• impaired skin sensation
• allergy to med or adhesives
• sensitive to DC
• recent scarring
• cuts, bruises, or broken skin
• metal in or around treatment area

Question 19

ionto complications

Answer 19

• burns
• prolonged erythema
• burning sensation
• tingling

Question 20

what are some factors contributing to burns?

Answer 20

• setting intensity too high
• prolonged treatment times
• using wrong polarity
• electrode issues: too dry, small, close together

Question 21

where is medication applied via ionto the most effective?

Answer 21

superficial tendons

Question 22

in studies that show an effect with treatment, what are some issues with them?

Answer 22

• small sample size
• rare with true control group
• NO MEASURE OF MED DELIVERED*
• small effect size
• don’t compare to standard of care treatments