Medication Administration Flashcards
✓is the most common, least expensive,
and most convenient route for most
clients.
✓The drug is swallowed.
Oral
Administration by injection (parenteral
administration) includes the following routes:
❑ Subcutaneous (under the skin-subcutaneous tissue)
❑ Intradermal (inner aspect of the forearm)
❑ Intramuscular (in a muscle)
❑ Intravenous (in a vein)
❑ Intrathecal (around the spinal cord)
Injection routes
Injection Routes
❑ Subcutaneous (under the skin-subcutaneous tissue)
❑ Intradermal (inner aspect of the forearm)
❑ Intramuscular (in a muscle)
❑ Intravenous (in a vein)
❑ Intrathecal (around the spinal cord)
A few drugs are placed under
the tongue (taken sublingually)
or between the gums and teeth
(buccally) so that they can
dissolve and be absorbed
directly into the small blood
vessels that lie beneath the
tongue.
These drugs are not swallowed.
Sublingual and buccal routes
Many drugs that are administered orally can also be
administered rectally as a suppository. In this form, a drug is mixed with a waxy substance that dissolves or liquefies after it is inserted into the rectum. Because the rectum’s wall is thin and its blood supply rich, the drug is readily absorbed. A suppository is prescribed for people who cannot
take a drug orally because they have nausea, cannot
swallow, or have restrictions on eating.
Rectal
Some drugs may be administered vaginally
to women as a solution, tablet, cream, gel,
suppository, or ring. The drug is slowly
absorbed through the vaginal wall. This
route is often used to give estrogen to
women during menopause to relieve vaginal
symptoms such as dryness, soreness, and
redness.
Vaginal route
is the administration of a drug
through the eyes, most
typically as an eye drop
formulation.
Ophthalmic route
is a medication that is applied to a
particular place on or in the body. Most
often topical administration means
application to body surfaces such as the
skin or mucous membranes to treat
ailments via a large range of classes
including creams, foams, gels, lotions, and
ointments
Topical
route of administration in which drugs are insufflated
through the nose.
Drugs administered by this route generally work
quickly. Some of them irritate the nasal passages.
Drugs that can be administered by the nasal route
include nicotine (for smoking cessation), calcitonin
(for osteoporosis), sumatriptan (for migraine
headaches), and corticosteroids (for allergies).
Nasal route
Drugs used to treat ear inflammation and infection
can be applied directly to the affected ears. Ear
drops containing solutions or suspensions are
typically applied only to the outer ear canal. Before
applying ear drops, people should thoroughly clean
the ear with a moist cloth and dry it. Drugs that can
be given by the otic route include hydrocortisone (to
relieve inflammation), ciprofloxacin (to treat
infection), and benzocaine (to numb the ear).
otic
Drugs administered by inhalation through the mouth must be atomized into smaller droplets than those administered by the nasal route, so that the drugs can pass through the windpipe (trachea) and into the lungs. How deeply into the lungs they go depends on the size of the droplets. Smaller droplets go deeper, which increases the amount of drug absorbed. Inside the lungs, they are absorbed into the bloodstream.
Inhalation route
Similar to the inhalation route, drugs given by
nebulization must be aerosolized into small
particles to reach the lungs. Nebulization
requires the use of special devices, most
commonly ultrasonic or jet nebulizer systems.
Using the devices properly helps maximize the
amount of drug delivered to the lungs.
Nebulization route
Some drugs are delivered bodywide through a
patch on the skin. These drugs are sometimes
mixed with a chemical (such as alcohol) that
enhances penetration through the skin into the
bloodstream without any injection. Through a
patch, the drug can be delivered slowly and
continuously for many hours or days or even
longer.
Transdermal route
Incorrect drug product selection (based on indications, contraindications, known allergies, existing drug therapy, and other factors), dose, dosage form, quantity, route of administration, concentration, rate of administration, or instructions for use of a drug product ordered or authorized
by physician
Prescribing Error
The failure to administer an ordered dose to a patient before the next scheduled dose or failure to prescribe a drug product that is indicated for the patient.
Omission error
