www.nursingcrib.comA 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 | · Same as sublingual | · Same as sublingual |
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 | · Limited use |
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 | · Rapid effect | · 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 |
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