Complete the following table by filling in transcription and translation.

Word Transcription Translation
1. Absorption
2. Application
3. Bloodstream
4. Completeness
5. Cone-shaped
6. Dissolve
7. Injection
8. Insert
9. Intracavitary
10. Lesion
11. Nitroglycerin
12. Parenteral
13. Route
14. Rectal
15. Sublingual
16. Suppository
17. Swallow
18. Syringe
19. Vomiting
20. Wound

 

 

 

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ADMINISTRATION OF DRUGS

The route of administration of a drug is very important in determining the rate and completeness of its absorp­tion into the bloodstream and speed and duration of the drug's action in the body. Different methods are used to administer drugs.

Oral administrationis a route of administration where a substance is taken through the mouth. Oral administration is a part of enteral administration. Drugs given orally must pass into the stomach and be absorbed into the blood­stream through the intestinal wall. This method may have several disadvantages. If the drug is destroyed in the digestive tract by digestive juices or if the drug cannot pass through the intestinal mucosa, it will be ineffective. Oral administration is slower than other methods and disadvantageous if time is a factor in therapy.

In sublingual administration drugs are not swallowed. They are placed under the tongue and allowed to dissolve in the saliva. Absorption is rapid for some agents. Nitroglycerin is taken this way to treat attacks of chest pain (angina pectoris) in order to be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and dilate co­ronary arteries to increase blood flow to the heart muscle.

Suppositoriesand water solutions are supposed to be inserted into the rectum.This type of drug use is known as rectal administration and indicatedwhen oral administration presents difficulties (patient is nau­seated and vomiting).

Parenteral administration is accom­plished by injection through a syringe under the skin, into a muscle, into a vein, or into a body cavity. In this type of administration gastrointestinal tract is omitted. There are several types of parenteral injections:

Subcutaneous injection.This injection is sometimes called a hypoder­mic injectionand is given just under the several layers of the skin. The outer surface of the arm and the anterior surface of the skin are usual lo­cations for subcutaneous injections.

Intradermal injection.This shallow injection is made into the upper layers of the skin. It is used chiefly in skin testing for allergic reactions. Short needles are used, and an elevation appears on the skin when an intradermal injection is given properly.

Intramuscular injection. This injection is given into the muscle, usually into the buttocks. When drugs are irritating to the skin or when a large volume of a long-acting drug is to be given, intramuscular injections are ad­visable.

Intravenous injection. This injection is given directly into the vein. It is given when an immediate effect from the drug is desired or when the drug cannot be given into other tissues. Good technical skill is needed in administering this injection as leakage of drugs into sur­rounding tissues may result in damage to tissues. Besides, entering air into a vein can lead to immediate death.

Intrathecal injection.This injection is made into the sheath of mem­branes (meninges) which surround the spinal cord and brain. The effects of the drug so administered are usually limited to the central nervous system, and intrathecal injections are often used to produce anesthesia.

Intracavitary injection.This injection is made into a body cavity, as, for example, into the peritoneal or pleural cavity.

Inhalation.In this method of administration, vapors or gases, are taken into the nose or mouth and are absorbed into the bloodstream through the thin walls of the air sacs in the lungs. Aerosols can beadministered by inhalation. This way is the only one possible when patient has asthma attack.

Topical application. This is the local external application of drugs on skin or mucous membranes of the mouth or other surface. Topical application may also include administration of drugs into the eyes, ears, nose, and vagi­na. It is commonly used to accelerate the healing of abrasions, for antiseptic treatment of a wound, and as an antipruritic (against itching). Lotions are used most often when the skin is moist, or "weeping," and ointments and creams are used when the lesions are dry.