A route of drug administration is the path by which a drug or other substance is brought into contact with the body. Drugs are introduced into the body by several routes. When administering a drug, the nurse should ensure that the pharmaceutical preparation is appropriate for the route specified.
| Route |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Oral
|
- Most convenient
- Usually least expensive
- Safe, does not break skin barrier
- Administration usually does not cause stress
|
- Inappropriate for patients with nausea and vomiting
- Drug may have unpleasant taste or odor
- Inappropriate when gastrointestinal tract has reduced motility
- Inappropriate if patient cannot swallow or is unconscious
- Cannot be used before certain diagnostic tests or surgical procedures
- Drug may discolor teeth, harm tooth enamel
- Drug may irritate gastric mucosa
- Drug can be aspirated by seriously ill patients
|
| Sublingual
|
- Same as oral route, plus
- Drug can be administered for local effect
- More potent than oral route because drug directly enters the blood and bypasses the liver
|
- If swallowed, drug may be inactivated by gastric juice
- Drug must remain under tongue until dissolved and absorbed
- Drug is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream
|
| Buccal
|
|
|
| Rectal
|
- Can be used when drug has objectionable taste or odor
- Drug released at slow, steady rate
|
- Dose absorbed is unpredictable
|
| Vaginal
|
- Provides a local therapeutic effect
|
|
| Topical
|
- Provides a local effect
- Few side effects
|
- Maybe be messy and may soil clothes
- Drug can enter body through abrasions and cause systemic effects
|
| Transdermal
|
- Prolonged systemic effect
- Few side effects
- Avoids gastrointestinal absorption problems
|
- Leaves residue on the skin that may soil clothes
|
| Subcutaneous
|
- Onset of drug action faster than oral
|
- Must involve sterile technique because breaks skin barrier
- More expensive than oral
- Can administer only small volume
- Slower than intramuscular administration
- Some drugs can irritate tissues and cause pain
- Can produce anxiety
|
| Intramuscular
|
- Pain from irritating drugs is minimized
- Can administer larger volume than subcutaneous
- Drug is rapidly absorbed
|
- Breaks skin barrier
- Can produce anxiety
|
| Intradermal
|
- Absorption is slow (this is an advantage in testing for allergies)
|
- Amount of drug administered must be small
- Breaks skin barrier
|
| Intravenous
|
|
- Limited to highly soluble drugs
- Drug distribution inhibited by poor circulation
|
| Inhalation
|
- Introduces drug throughout respiratory tract
- Rapid localized relief
- Drug can be administered to unconscious client
|
- Drug intended for localized effect can have systemic effect
- Of use only for the respiratory system
|
