LIQUID MEDICATION
Liquid medication takes one of three forms: elixirs, emulsion, and suspensions.
An elixir is a sweet, pleasant-smelling solution of alcohol and water used as a
vehicle for medicine. Robitussin, a commonly used cough preparation, is an
elixir. An emulsion is a suspension of small globules of one liquid in a second
liquid with which the first will not mix, such as milk fats in milk. And a sus-
pension is a preparation of finely divided, undissolved particles dispersed in a
liquid, such as bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol).
When administering liquid medication:
- Dilute, shake, or stir the medication only if required (follow the direc-
tions on the label). - Read the meniscus at the lowest fluid mark to determine the dose while
pouring the liquid. This is best done at eye level. - Refrigerate open or reconstituted (mixed) liquid medication as per the
medication label. Date and label the time the medication was opened or
reconstituted.
SUBLINGUAL AND
BUCCAL MEDICATION
These medications are quickly absorbed into the circulatory system because the
tissues beneath the tongue and between the cheek and gum consist of a thin
layer of epithelium cells and a vast network of capillaries. Nitroglycerin can be
administered sublingually.
When administering sublingual or buccal medication:
- Do not permit the patient to ingest food or liquid if the medication is
administered sublingually (under the tongue) or bucally (between the cheek
and gum) until the medication is completely absorbed. - Sublingual medication such as nitroglycerin can be administered to a
non-responsive patient. Sublingual medication dissolves quickly with min-
imal chance of aspiration.
TRANSDERMAL ROUTE
The transdermal route is commonly referred to as “the patch” because the med-
ication is contained in a patch that is absorbed through the skin. There are an
CHAPTER 6 Route of Administration^99