Ointments are used topically on a variety of body surfaces. These include the skin and the mucous membranes of the eye (an eye ointment), chest, vulva, anus, and nose.
Topical medications are medications that are administered via the skin or mucous membranes for direct local action, as well as for systemic effects. An innunction is a medication that is massaged or rubbed into the skin and includes topical creams such as nystatin antifungal cream.
General principles for topical formulations
Topical formulations are applied directly to the skin. Advantages of this include: An increased dose of medication is applied where it is needed. There are reduced side effects and toxicity to other organs compared to systemic medications.
4A, there are a range of epidermal, dermal, and appendageal target sites that include the keratinocytes, Langerhans cells, melanocytes, Merkel cells, and blood vessels, as well as deeper tissues such as muscle.
A patch is placed on the patients skin with the medicine (sometimes mixed with a chemical) that penetrates into the blood stream. Injection – The four injection routes include intrathecal (into the spine), subcutaneous (under the skin), intravenous (into a vein) and intramuscular (into a muscle).
Topical solutions include eye drops, ear drops, and lotions. Eye drops are sterile liquids that contain a range of drugs, including local anesthetics, antimicrobials, anti-inflammatory agents, and drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system of the eye.
Topical administration of the drug is employed to treat anterior segment diseases, most often in the form of eye drops. For this route, the site of action is generally the different layers of the conjunctiva, cornea, sclera, and other anterior segment tissues like iris and ciliary body (anterior uvea).
In general, the rate of absorption of chemicals through skin follows the following scheme from fastest to slowest: Scrotal > Forehead > Armpit ≥ Scalp > Back = Abdomen > Palm = under surface of the foot.
However, about 95 percent of nutrient molecules are absorbed in the small intestine. The absorption of the majority of these molecules takes place in the second part of the small intestine, called the jejunum.
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Applying medication to the skin or mucous membranes allows it to enter the body from there. Medication applied in this way is known as topical medication. It can also be used to treat pain or other problems in specific parts of the body.
Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. For example, a topical agent is applied to a certain area of the skin and is intended to affect only the area to which it is applied.
Ointments are thicker and greasier, and are better for dry or flaky areas of skin. Lotion is better for treating large or hairier areas of skin.
Because the oral route is the most convenient and usually the safest and least expensive, it is the one most often used.
Sublingual administration involves placing a drug under the tongue and buccal administration involves placing a drug between the gums and cheek. The sublingual and buccal routes are considered promising alternatives to the traditional oral route for drug delivery.
Most often topical medication means application to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes to treat ailments via a large range of classes including creams, foams, gels, lotions, and ointments. Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin.
Because most absorption occurs in the small intestine, gastric emptying is often the rate-limiting step. Food, especially fatty food, slows gastric emptying (and the rate of drug absorption), explaining why taking some drugs on an empty stomach speeds absorption.
Routes and Doses of Administration
Common routes include inhalation, oral, intravenous (IV), and intramuscular (IM). Other administration routes, such as rectal, submucosal, and intranasal, are used less frequently. Each route of administration has advantages and disadvantages (Table 19–1).
Topically absorbed drugs first penetrate the outer barrier of dead skin cells (stratum corneum), then move through the viable layers of the epidermis to reach the vascularized dermis layer of the skin (see Figure 5-1).
Topical delivery is particularly suited for dermatological conditions. Skin diseases like eczema, psoriasis, and acne often require direct application of medications to the affected areas. Topical treatments offer a direct and effective approach in managing these conditions.
Topical medication can be defined as the application of medicine on the skin or mucous membranes that allow it to go into the body and bring relief to body pain and other issues in the affected part of the body. Topical medication can be used to nourish the pores and skin to protect it from harm.
Drug instillation, also known as medication instillation, is the administration of a medicine, generally in liquid form either drop by drop or with a catheter into a body space or cavity. Drop by drop administration may be done for eye drops, ear drops, or nose drops.
To ensure safe medication preparation and administration, nurses are trained to practice the “7 rights” of medication administration: right patient, right drug, right dose, right time, right route, right reason and right documentation [12, 13].