Medication Administration Part 2 Flashcards
BID, bid
twice daily or 2 times daily
TID, tid
three times daily
QID, qid
four times daily
QH, qh
every hour
1 ounce=
30 mL
enteral
GI tract
topical
skin
parenteral
intadermal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous
How to properly give a child’s under 3 ear drops
pull the pinna of the ear down and back
AC, ac
before meals
PC, pc
after meals
ad lib
as desired
used for medications the patient is to receive prior to surgery or procedures. It means “give it when the operating room calls and tells you to give it.”
“On call”
Means “whenever necessary” or “as needed” (i.e. Q4H prn means “as needed” but no more frequently than every four hours)
PRN
(i.e. for five days)
Time-limited
very important principle related to Prohibited and Error-Prone Abbreviations that you will learn in Pharmacology is the practice of
“no trailing zero after a decimal” and “always use a leading zero before a decimal”
are the cheapest and easiest to administer, but this administration is the slowest acting. Can’t use if the patient is unconscious, vomiting, or has certain gastrointestinal problems.
oral
PO
by mouth (oral meds)
DON’T EVER CRUSH THESE
enteric coated tablets
they are manufactured with a coating that prevents them from dissolving and being absorbed until they exit the stomach (they are absorbed in the small intestine).
enteric coated meds
Meds that can’t be divided or cut
Capsules
Dissolved in water and alcohol, and with flavoring (i.e. cough syrup)
Elixir
Medication that is mixed in a liquid but won’t dissolve, so it has to be shaken vigorously before administration
suspension
These are medications placed under the tongue, where they are absorbed systemically via the mucous membranes.
Sublingual
Placed between cheek and gum
Buccal
With topical meds always remember to
remove old patch to prevent overdose
In ears, eardrops.
Otic
Literally refers to routes other than the GI tract. In practice, it is reserved for the routes that involve injection.
Parenteral
Given WITHIN the dermis.
Intradermal: (abbreviated ID)
A “shallow” injection in which the needle is inserted below the dermis but not into the muscle.
Subcutaneous: (abbreviated SQ or SC)
Injected into muscle
Intramuscular: (abbreviated IM)
Whenever parenteral medication is obtained from a glass ampule; a filter needle must be used for drawing up the medication (to catch any small glass particles that may result from breaking the ampule).
Glass ampules
Whenever medication is withdrawn from a vial with a rubber stopper, the stopper must be wiped with
an alcohol pad
Bottom of the list for priority of patient
pain
1 teaspoon (tsp) =
5 milliliters (mL)
1 tablespoon (T or tbsp) =
5 milliliters (mL)
1 cup =
8 oz or 240 milliliters (mL
1 gram (g or gm) =
1,000 milligrams (mg)
1 liter (L) =
1,000 milliliters (also 1 quart)
The traditional recommendation has been that after inserting the needle, the nurse should pull back on the
plunger (“aspirate”) prior to injecting
No aspiration with
subcutaneous injections
No aspiration when administering
immunizations
Slow (5-10 seconds) aspiration prior to any other
intramuscular injection
Subcutaneous injections:
Use a
25 gauge or smaller needle that is 3/8 to 5/8 inches long
Common sites are the upper arms, abdomen, on the back underneath the shoulder blades (subscapular), anterior thighs, and iliac crest.
subcutaneous
Tissue should be “pinched up” and the injection given at
45-90 degrees
is the ONLY insulin that can be given intravenously.
Regular insulin
Use the right or left side of the abdomen at least 5 cm (2 inches) from the umbilicus and pinch the injection site as you insert the needle.
Low molecular weight heperain
Use a 25-27 gauge needle.
Hold at 5-15 degrees to the skin and make a “wheal”.
Intradermal Injection
given at a 90-degree angle unless the recipient is extremely slender. The maximum amount in a single injection is 4-5 mL depending on the specific injection site and patient size/muscle development (less for children) For most adults (unless extremely thin or extremely obese) use a 21-23 gauge needle that is 1-1.5 inches long.
Intramuscular (IM) Injection
Don’t rub or massage the site after injectin
IM injections
preferred site for IM injections
ventrolateral site
Always used for IM injections that are irritating or stain the skin
Z-track technique
