💉Vias de Administração de Medicamentos - Aula COMPLETA

Main ideas / concepts taught

Prerequisite: pharmacokinetics

To understand drug administration routes, the video reviews how the body handles drugs:

• Absorption: drug entering the body
• Distribution: drug reaches target cells
• Metabolism: mainly in the liver (also kidneys or lungs)
• Excretion: mainly via the kidneys (also liver and lungs)

Routes of administration (core list)

The video groups medication administration routes into four main categories:

• Oral
• Topical
• Inhalation
• Parenteral (subdivided later; full details deferred to the next video)

---

Methodology / key instructional points (detailed)

1) Oral administration

• What it is: Medication placed in the patient’s mouth, usually swallowed.
• Effect timing concept:
  • Absorption is slow
  • Effects often last longer because the drug travels through the GI tract before being absorbed.

Absorption timing / food guidance

• Generally take oral medication 30 minutes to 1 hour before meals, since food can impair effect.
• Some drugs are indicated only with eating, so the instruction depends on the specific medication.

Oral route subtypes

• Sublingual
  • Place medication under the tongue
  • Do not swallow
  • Rapid absorption due to a highly vascularized area
• Buccal
  • Place medication against the cheek
  • Do not swallow
  • Absorbed from the mouth via a highly vascularized area

Reminder: Both buccal and sublingual formulations are effective.

Nursing safety instruction

• Never administer orally when the patient is lying down.
• The patient should be at least sitting up to reduce aspiration risk.

---

2) Topical administration

• What it is: Applying medication to skin or mucous membranes.
• Possible effects:
  • Local effects (e.g., ointment for a specific area like muscle pain)
  • Systemic effects (e.g., contraceptive patches)

Examples / topical sub-routes

• Topical patches
  • Can remain on for 12 hours to 7 days
• Nasal route
  • Used for nasal congestion, sinusitis, rhinitis
  • Delivered via drops or sprays into the nasal cavity
  • Caution: Excessive spray use can cause rebound congestion
• Ocular route (eye drops)
  • Eye area is richly vascularized, enabling rapid reabsorption
  • Infection control: be careful in cases of infection
  • Small amount is enough—no soaking required
  • Hygiene: avoid touching the eyes; touching one eye can contaminate both
• Auricular route (ear)
  • Medication injected into the ear
  • Temperature: use solutions at room temperature / body temperature (~36–37°C)
  • While the ear is not a sterile area:
    • If there is a rupture (opening/handling that could contaminate), the solution must be sterile
  • The full procedure should be sterile to prevent infection, otitis, and worsening condition
• Vaginal route
  • Application of gels, creams, or suppositories
  • Suppositories: wrapped in foil; body melts and absorbs
  • Creams/gels: applied using a pen-sized applicator
• Rectal route
  • Medication administered into the anus via suppository
  • Suppository is smaller than vaginal suppositories
  • Produces:
    • Local effect: stimulates defecation
    • Systemic effect: relieves nausea
  • Pre-instruction: perform an enema before rectal administration

Overall topical coverage

• Skin administration can be cutaneous
• Mucous membranes include nasal, ocular, auricular, vaginal, and anal routes

---

3) Inhalation route

• What it is: Drug delivered directly to the lungs
• Especially useful in:
  • Asthma
  • COPD
• Clinical examples
  • COPD: bronchodilators to dilate bronchi/bronchial tree
  • Asthma: anti-inflammatory medication
• Why it works quickly
  • Lungs (alveolar region) are extremely vascularized, allowing rapid absorption

---

4) Parenteral route (intro only in this video)

• What it is: Requires a needle/injection to enter the body.
• Types listed (details postponed):
  • Subcutaneous
  • Intradermal
  • Intramuscular
  • Intravenous
• The presenter notes that full parenteral-route details will be covered in the next video.

---

Speakers / sources featured

• Rivo Sales (main presenter)
• Descomplica (educational channel referenced)