Routes of medication is a path through which the drug or medicine is consumed by the patient. Ex. Some drugs are consumed by mouth so it is called as oral route.
Medication route is important as some patient requires immediate treatment while some require slow treatment as speed of action of particular medicine. So, depending on the medication and its actions, routes are decided.
List of route of medications are given below,
Enteral Routes
Enteral routes are referred as routes through which medicine is absorb through the GI tract and then enter into the blood stream.
There are three types of enteral routes,
Oral route (PO) – Medicines are consumed orally. It is a slow process involves digestion, metabolism and then via liver medicine enter the blood.
Sublingual and Buccal – It involves put medicine under the tongue area called as sublingual or in between cheeck and gum (buccal). This medicines put in sublingual and buccal are directly absorbed by oral mucosa and enter the blood stream.
Rectal (PR) – It is used when the patient is not conscious and not able to swallow the medicine or vomiting frequently. The suppossiteries and enema is given to patient. It mostly given as for treatment of hemorrhoids, constipation and inflammattory bowel diseases.
Parental Routes
Parental routes means outside the intestine. This drugs are given via the injection, directly administring drug into the body tissues, veins, muscles and skin through needle and IV catheter. This method used when the medicine should act fast.
There are four main types,
- Intravenous (IV) – Intravenous medicines are given directly into the veins. It gives in hand, forearm, leg depending on visible vein. It get absorbed immediately with 100% medicine enter the blood stream. It used in case of emergency treatment, IV fluids (normal saline, glucose), blood transfusion, antibiotics and chemotherapy.
- Intramuscular (IM) – Intramuscular means medicine is injected into the muscles. Common sites use for IM injection are deltoid muscles (upper arm), Vastus lateralis (thigh) and ventrogluteal muscle (hip). Muscles has high blood supply so drug is absorbed properly.
- Subcutaneous (SC) – Subcutaneous (SC) means drug is injected into the fatty tissues that present under the skin. Common sites are abdomen, upper arm and front of the thigh. The medicine that administer through this route are absorbed slow. Because fatty tissue has less blood supply and drug is absorbed slow and sustained. Ex. Insulin is administer subcutaneously.
- Intradermal (ID) – Intradermal medications are given inside the skin layer called as dermis. It is commonly given into inner forearm. It absorbed very slowly compared to above 3 methods.
Topical and Local Routes
Topical routes are medicines or drugs that applies on the skin directly to treat local infection.
- Transdermal route – It involves applying a patch on the skin, medicine released slowly in the body.
- Topical -This are creams, ointments, gels, lotions, powders that are directly applied on the skin. It use for local skin infection or injury.
- Ophthalmic/ Otic/ Nasal route – It involves any drops, sprays that are given to cure eye, nose or ear infection.
Inhalation
Inhalation involves patient will recieve medicine via inhaler, nebulizers. The medicine is directly reach to the respiratory tract of the person. Nose inhaler to release blokage of the nasal mucosa for airway clearance.