Routes of Medications and their advantages and disadvantages. Give Examples for each routes

Routes of Medications: Opinion: Advantage and disadvantage

 Oral (PO)

 Examples: Cough, cold and fever drops, pills (e. g. Paracetamol, antibiotics such as Amoxicillin).

 Advantages:

 Convenience: It is relatively simple to perform given and the patients typically have a favourable response to the procedures.

 Cost-effective: As a rule, the drugs are cheaper to manufacture and dispense than the comparable biologics.

 Disadvantages:

 Variable Absorption: Absorption can be influenced by the presence of food or the pH of your stomach or by gastrointestinal disorders, for example.

 Delayed Onset: The effect of this route also takes a longer time to achieve therapeutic level as compared to other routes.

 Contraindicated in patients who are unable to protect their airways, for example, unconscious patients or patients with swallowing problems.

 Intravenous (IV)

 Examples: Tablets or capsules (e. g. , vancomycin), injections (e. g. , morphine), and fluids (e. g. , saline).

 Advantages:

 Immediate Effect: Offers patient accessibility and initial action as well as allowing the patient precise control over the dosing.

 Complete Absorption: Does not go through the GI tract as it achieves 100% bioavailability.

 Disadvantages:

 Invasive: Involves an injection or placement of a catheter which may be painful or may lead to an infection.

 Costly: More costly as compared to normal surgical procedures arising from equipment and monitoring necessities.

 Potential for complications: Infiltration or air embolism as well as thrombophlebitis formation in the area where the infusion is produced.

 Intramuscular (IM)

 Examples: Inhalants, Vaccines (for instance influenza vaccines), Hormonal therapies …(for instance depot medroxyprogesterone acetate).

 Advantages:

 Moderate Absorption: More rapid than the peroral route yet less so than the intravenous one.

 When used for medication that has low circulation in the body after oral administration.

 Disadvantages:

 Pain and Discomfort: Can sometimes bring about pain or discomfort whenever the injection is being administered.

 Requires skill: There are also side effects, which can affect a patient in a negative way the most important of them being that injection site must be chosen carefully to avoid nerve damage.

 Contraindicated for daily dosing or dosing more than twice a week.

 Subcutaneous (SC)

 Examples: Insulin, anticoagulants including low molecular weight ones, for instance, enoxaparin.

 Advantages:

 Ease of Administration: It is usually less invasive as compared to IV or IM therapy.

 Suitable for Self-Administration: Usually employed when giving drugs that you can take on your own. Mobile Clinic 27 November 2015 at 17:53 Modern hospitals employ many types of clinics and clinics can be categorized in weekly clinics which are fixed; specialized clinics which are frequently rotating and; short clinics such as short stay, day and emergency. Luca 27 November 2015 at 18:03 Some of the common clinic classifications in modern hospitals include: Weekly clinics :

 Disadvantages:

 Slow Absorption: Onset is slower than that reached by IM or IV injection.

 Limited Volume: It is limited to small volumes (normally up to 1-2 mL) only.

 Potential for irritation: Can result in either irritation or formation of lumps at the point of injection.

 Topical

 Examples: Topical agents ( e. g. , hydrocortisone), skin patches (e. g. , nicotine skin patches).

 Advantages:

 Localized Effect: In that it can be used in local treatment with fewer repercussions in the rest of the body.

 Ease of Application: It has been found to be easy to use by most if the individuals and it is also easy to apply.

 Disadvantages:

 Limited Penetration: Created for acute or superficial skin conditions but not for systemic disease or for inflammation affecting deeper structures.

 Variable Absorption: Absorption is skin dependent, that is, it depends on some skin conditions and the site of application.

 Inhalational

 Examples: It includes short acting beta-agonists (e. g. , albuterol), Inhaled corticosteroids (e. g. fluticasone).

 Advantages:

 Direct Effect: Used in the treatment of respiratory ailments and offers localized manifestations of its action.

 Reduced Systemic Side Effects: Reduces overall risk of side effects as it goes directly to the lungs.

 Disadvantages:

 Technique Sensitive: Is usually invasive, and depends on the correct approach and cooperation from the patient in question.

 Potential for Local Irritation: May in some cases lead to throat inflammation or cough.

 Sublingual (SL)

 Examples: Tablets of nitroglycerin for angina, some hormone therapies.

 Advantages:

 Rapid Absorption: The fact is that the substances are absorbed rapidly through the mucous membranes under the tongue.

 Bypasses Digestive System: Exercises first-pass effect therefore does not undergo first-pass metabolism by the liver.

 Disadvantages:

 Limited to Certain Medications: No suitable for application in all types of drugs.

 Patient Sensitivity: Is taken with the patient unable to take any food or water during the time the medication dissolves.